


Little Ninja

by DarylsBabyGirl



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Asshole Survivors, Canon divergence after 6x09, Cunnilingus, Dancing, Daryl's Past, Dubious Consent, Explosions, F/F, F/M, Guns, Kissing, M/M, Male Pregnancy, Miscarriages, More tags to be added, Negan's devilish charm, Oral Sex, Rick fucks up, Rick is an ass, Swearing, Threats of Violence, Threats of prostitution, Trans Daryl Dixon, Use of the word whore, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Vomiting, Walkers, gun shot wounds, homemade bombs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-06-07 16:42:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15223382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarylsBabyGirl/pseuds/DarylsBabyGirl
Summary: He wasn't scared. He'd been surviving on his own since he was a child lost in the woods. It was more the fact that he'd been so scared of being left behind by his little make shift family, but now he was the one leaving them. It was for their own good, and his own good, though. He and his baby didn't belong there. He rubbed his sick stomach as he drove. They would be fine on their own. They didn't need anyone.





	1. Ch. 1

Daryl groaned as he carefully got up off the floor and flushed the toilet. He made his way to the sink weakly and turned the facet on. He brushed his teeth, for what was probably the fourth time that day. He normally didn't care, but he never knew when Rick might decide to kiss him, even though its been nearly five weeks since they last were intimate. He rinsed out and looked himself in the mirror. What the hell was he doing waiting on the man? He'd never waited on a man in his life. So, what was so fucking special about Rick? 

He sighed. He looked gross and felt even grosser. He loved the man, that's what made Rick so special. They'd started something at the prison, something Daryl thought meant something to the other man; but, no. When they'd killed Joe and his Claimers, Rick had called Daryl his brother, and Daryl felt his heart shatter. Since then, Rick hadn't touched him once. Daryl had even noticed him getting close to Michonne. Daryl hadn't pushed him, even though he longed for Rick's touch. He felt stupid, hoping that when they reached Alexandria Rick might somehow miraculously change his mind. 

Of course, that hadn't happened. Instead, Rick told Daryl he'd probably be happy having his own space, his own two story, snobby, rich person house. To Daryl, that meant Rick was pretty much tossing out dirty laundry. No one had known about them, Rick hadn't wanted their family knowing they were fucking. He'd been Rick's dirty little secret, and now Rick was getting rid of him. He'd been just a stupid little girl in love with the high school's star foot ball player. 

Daryl growled, slamming his fist into the mirror, shattering the glass and probably his knuckles as well. He endured the pain, let it remind him who he's supposed to be. He was Daryl Dixon, hunter of rabbits and squirrels, grouchy asshole who didn't give a shit about anyone. He could survive on his own easily. He didn't need Rick. He didn't need Carol. She was gone anyways, disappeared into the night after the walkers had gotten in. 

He decided to take a shower, and maybe go visit Denise. He knew her. She would keep his secret. He had a feeling he knew why he'd been sick the last couple of weeks. He showered off, washing his hair and body. When he finished, he dried off and got dressed. He packed up all his clothes and whatever necessities he might need and tossed them into the back of his truck. He went across the street to Denise's house and knocked gently. 

Tara opened the door and smiled. “Hey, Dixon.”

Daryl smiled. Tara would be one of the only people he missed, next to Judy and Carl. “Hey, is Denise here?”

“Yeah, c'mon in.” She stepped aside to let him in, closing the door behind him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just need ta... talk to her.” Daryl shifted nervously. 

Tara stared at him for a moment. “What's going on?” Daryl lifted up his hand that he'd used to smash the mirror. She looked at it, then snorted. “You been goin around puniching trees?”

“More like mirrors.” Daryl murmured, turning when Denise walked in. 

“Hey, Daryl, what's going on?” Denise smiled at him, then looked at his knuckles. “Let me guess, punched a mirror?”

“How'd ya guess?”

“My brother did that once.” She led him over to where she kept the gauze and antiseptic. “Who pissed you off?”

He shrugged, watching her rub the antiseptic into his knuckles. He glanced at Tara. “... Can I... talk to her alone?”

Tara glanced between them. “Doctor patient confidentiality. Got ya.” She gave them a two hand finger gun salute and walked out of the room and up the stairs.

Denise shook her head with an affectionate smile and wrapped Daryl's hand and fingers. “So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

Daryl shifted nervously, taking the pain pills she offered him. “Need ya ta do an ultrasound on me.”

The doctor nearly dropped the roll of gauze in her hand when the words processed in her brain. She put the gauze on the shelf and turned to him, staring for a second. It was like a light bulb went off in her head. She nodded after a moment. “Alright, lay down and lift your shirt for me.”

The hunter hesitated, then walked over to the cot in the corner of the room. He laid down and lifted his shirt up to his chest and watched her drag an ultrasound machine he'd found for her on a run. She flipped it on and grabbed the lube in the cubby on the keyboard and spread a bit on his belly. “Can I ask what your symptoms have been?”

“Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, certain foods make me sick. Used ta not mind the smell of rotting flesh, but now it just makes me wanna vomit.”

She nodded. “How long have you had them?”

“A couple weeks now.”

“When was your last period?” She put the wand down on his belly, pressing down and spreading the lube.

Daryl swallowed thickly. He hated talking about his periods, but he needed her help. “Two months ago.”

She looked him in the eyes. “... Did you have sex in those two months?”

He nodded after a moment. “Yeah... before my missed period two months ago.”

Denise nodded and returned her gaze to the black and white screen. She moved the wand around for a moment, then stopped and pointed at the screen. “Yeah, there's your baby.”

Daryl stared at it for a moment, then sighed and rubbed his face. “Fuck... didn't think I could get pregnant anymore.”

Denise printed off a picture and wiped the hunter's belly. “You get a monthly cycle, right?”

He sat up, pulling his shirt down. “I used to. Then, I started... transitioning. Got a double mastectomy 'n started takin testosterone shots ta prepare fer the hysterectomy. I still had some after the turn, but... ran out a few months ago. I guess... my body ran outta testosterone 'n so I started getting a cycle again.” He took the picture Denise offered him and stared down at it.

She sat down in the chair by the cot. “What're you going to do? Who's the father?”

Daryl glanced up at her. “... Rick...” He whispered, thumb rubbing the tiny little black spot that was his baby on the picture. “He may be the father, but he ain't gonna be this baby's daddy.” He climbed off the cot. “Thanks fer everything Denise. Can you jus... tell me what all I need... ta keep the baby alive 'n how to deliver it..?”

Denise looked up at him, eyes wide. “You're leaving?” 

Daryl nodded. “I can't stay here... not with... I jus can't stay here.” He put the sonogram photo in his vest pocket. 

She stared at him a moment, then nodded. “Alright. I'll make you list and give you some instructions.” The doctor went to the desk in the corner and grabbed a pencil and some note book paper She wrote down a list of medications and things to do when he felt weird or if his feet and ankles started swelling, as well as how to deliver the baby by himself. “If you happen to have someone with you, there's instructions on the back on what they need to do.” She followed the paper up and handed it to him. “... Good luck.”

The hunter took the paper and pocketed it as well. “Thanks. Take care... of yerself 'n Tara. Watch over Judy fer me.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. 

She teared up a bit and nodded. “You're not going to say good bye to Tara?”

Daryl shook his head. “... Nah. If I see her, I ain't gonna wanna leave.” He thanked her again and left the house, crossing the street and getting into his truck. 

He sat there for a moment, wondering if this really was a good idea. Going out into the world on his own, pregnant and barely able to keep anything down, therefor being weak and so damn tired, was very dangerous. He rubbed his face, eyes closed tightly. The thought of how Rick might react if he found out he was pregnant crossed Daryl's mind. The man would want to do right by him, of course, but that didn't mean Rick would ever love him. He would always have a longing for Michonne, even though he would be faithful to Daryl. 

Daryl couldn't do that to Rick, Michonne or himself. He cleared his throat and sniffled, starting the truck up. He'd looked the truck over a few days ago, so he knew it would last him a long time. He scavenged some gas while out with Aaron and hid most of it in his garage. It was now in the back of the truck, plenty to get him through a week or two before he'd have to scavenge for more. He drove to the gates where Rosita was on shift. He stopped at the gate and she came up to the passenger's window. He rolled it down. 

“Where you goin?” She asked, brows furrowed in confusion. Rick hadn't told her about any late night runs.

“Can't sleep, so I'm goin huntin fer a couple days, try to bring back a buck or two.” He and Rosita didn't know each other well since they'd barely met a few weeks ago, but she knew he did a lot of hunting, so she nodded and pulled the gate open for him. He rolled the window back up and pulled through the gate, hands tight on the steering wheel and heart pounding. 

He wasn't scared. He'd been surviving on his own since he was a child lost in the woods. It was more the fact that he'd been so scared of being left behind by his little make shift family, but now he was the one leaving them. It was for their own good, and his own good, though. He and his baby didn't belong there. He rubbed his sick stomach as he drove. They would be fine on their own. They didn't need anyone. 

 

He must've drove for hours when he came into a small town. He would have to stop for the night and rest. He found a small clothing store with a second story, hoping it was a studio apartment. He got up, bringing his bag and crossbow with him. The sun was rising over the horizon, so he could see decently. He made his way into the story, taking out a single walker. He grabbed anything he viewed as necessary and added them to his bag before finding his way upstairs. The studio apartment was gratefully empty. He barricaded the door, but didn't worry about the windows since it was the second floor. He collapsed on the bed and stared up at the ceiling blankly. 

It was quiet other than the sound of a few walkers groaning down on the street. Daryl closed his eyes, breathing slowly. He'd grown used to having people around him. On the road, they'd always slept close to each other not only for warmth, but for safety with Carl and Judy always in the middle. Now, he was alone. Part of him regretted leaving. He would miss them all. He sighed and rolled over to his side and stared at the dog bed a few feet away under one of the many windows. It only reminded him of the dogs they'd ate after Terminus and it made his stomach churn, so he rolled back onto his back to stare at the ceiling more. 

He was so tired, but he couldn't sleep. Sleep brought dreams, nightmares. Sleeping alone was dangerous. He'd been one of the few that didn't sleep much, more concerned with the safety of the family than getting rest. It'd been most him, Rick and Carol that took watches, making sure the others got plenty of rest to keep moving. Even at the prison he hadn't slept much. The prison was too much like his home; dark, cold and enclosed with only one way out. He'd spent more time outside the fence or in the guard towers than inside. It'd been in the guard tower where Rick had fucked him the first time.

Daryl rolled onto his other side. He didn't want to think about that. He was met with the wall and stared at it. There was little drawings on it in crayon of a dog and a little girl and what must have been the girl's mother. No father. He wondered if the walker downstairs had been this woman. He sighed and closed his eyes. His baby would have no father like this child, but at least this child had an animal companion. Rick already had two children to worry about. He didn't need a third. He didn't need Daryl acting like some sobbing high school girl who got pregnant and needed to have the right thing done by her. He wasn't some high school girl. He was a grown man who could take care of himself and a baby. 

Daryl woke with a start, sitting up and looking around the dark room in shock. How long had he slept? He cursed and shot off the bed, scooping up his bag and cross bow. He went to one of the windows and looked down at the street and was met with the sight of a herd passing through. A loud groaning and scratching made him tense and turn to look at the door. Judging by the loud groaning there had to be more than five or six walkers on the stairs. They must've sniffed him out. He couldn't stay here. He couldn't fight his way out, either. Not with that many. 

He looked out of all the windows, glad to find a fire escape in the last window. He yanked the window open, wincing when it screeched. It only opened about halfway, but he had no choice but to squeeze through. More walkers piled against the door. He looked over as the dresser he'd shoved against the door dragged against the floor. He shoved his bag and crossbow through the window before putting his legs through first. His hips were easy to get out, but his shoulders required a bit more wriggling and grunting to get through. The first walker came through and stumbled toward him as his head came out. He stumbled back as the walker reached for him through the window, nearly sending himself over the railing. 

His heart raced as he managed to catch himself. He took a deep breath, glaring at the walkers piling against the window now. He grabbed his back pack, swinging it over his shoulder. He bent down to grab his crossbow and winced when his shoulder protested picking up the heavy weapon. He looked down at his right shoulder, shocked to see blood trailing down his bare arm. He must've scratched himself on the window when he squeezed himself out. He grunted and used his left hand to pick up the bow instead. He climbed up the stairs and found himself on the roof. He walked to the edge and glanced down. 

All the walkers were on the main street, but there was none in the alley connecting to the next street over where his truck was. If he could find a way down, he could escape this place easily. The fire escape was on the main street. He sighed, debating what to do. He needed to get to safety away from these walkers. Normally by now, someone would have come up with a plan, either Rick, Michonne or Glenn would have had an idea that would save all their lives.

He could always just jump into the herd. 

The thought crossed his mind so fast it nearly gave him whiplash. He shook his head. He couldn't do that. No matter the circumstances of how he got pregnant, he needed to live to give this baby some semblance of a life. The baby deserved that much. Then again, what kind of life could he give it? A life of starvation, dehydration, freezing in the winter and burning in the scorching summers, fighting for survival against both the dead and the living?

Daryl felt all hope leave him. He sobbed, dropping his bow and back pack and falling to his knees. His fingers gripped his jeans over his knees as he swayed back and forth, sobbing in agony. What had Rick done to him? Why had Rick done this to him? Why did he do this to himself? How could he let himself fall for the man? He screamed out, fists banging on the rocky roof top. He'd been fine on his own before he met them. He was lost now. He'd forgotten how to be himself. He banged on the roof again, taking all his frustration out on it and pulling the stitches out of his knuckles. 

A walker groaned behind him, crawling up the fire escape and stumbling toward him. It'd lost its arm in the process of crawling out the window. Daryl panted, sweat pouring down his forehead and neck. It was barely morning and it was already burning hot out. The walker groaned, tripping over a pipe in the roof. It crawled its way to him ungracefully. Daryl stared down at his bloody fist, watching a small pool gather on the rocks. The walker's nasty, decomposed hand grabbed the back of his vest. He growled and grabbed one of his arrows, yanking it off his bow and twisting his torso to sink it into the walker's head. The walker fell still, hand falling to the roof. He took a few minutes to sit there and calm himself down so he could think clearly. 

He grabbed his bag and pulled out a pair of tweezers and pulled the remaining stitches out. He shredded up a shirt he'd taken from the clothing store downstairs and wrapped his knuckles and shoulder. Once he was all patched up, he shoudered his bag and bow and walked to the edge of the ceiling and stared down at his truck. He bit his bottom lip and walked along the edge to look down into the alley. There was a pile of bodies just on the edge of the mouth of the alley. It would be gross, but landing on bodies was better than nothing. 

Taking a deep breath, he leapt.


	2. Ch. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl makes a friend

Daryl wasn't scared of much. He wasn't scared of the walkers. He wasn't scared of other people. He hadn't been scared of dying, until he found out he was carrying another life in his belly. Now that he was, everything scared him. Everything that could cause him to lose the baby scared him. He was more cautious now. He was cautious of what he ate, cautious of going anywhere near the big cities and cautious of the walkers and other survivors. He avoided the big cities. They always had too many walkers. He didn't stay in the little towns for too long. He didn't want other survivors to find him. He mostly stayed on the road and didn't go too far into the forests. He didn't want to chance running into a herd. 

In the weeks since he'd left Alexandria, he was surprised at just how... free... he felt. Free from the responsibility of having to hunt to feed everyone, free of Rick's pitying stare and free of that posh community where everyone stared at him like he didn't belong. He didn't blame them. He didn't belong there. He belonged out in the wild. He belonged on his own where he only had to look out for himself. Well, himself and the baby in his belly.

As he sat in the cab of his truck, the seat reclined back and one foot up on the dash, he munched on some jerky he'd made. Not exactly the most healthy, but it was the only thing he could stand eating at the moment. Part of Denise's instructions had been if he could stand eating it without throwing it back up, eat as much of it as you can. He can't lose too much weight or it would hurt the baby. So in the first few days he'd been alone, he hunted down a decently sized doe and, after throwing up several times, managed to get the doe skinned and deboned. He'd made a good amount of jerky from it.

He sighed happily, watching a couple walkers in the distance amble across the road. The morning sickness had faded for the most part. He still got a bit queasy on occasion, but he at least managed to keep most everything he ate down now. He still didn't have much of a belly, yet, but he figured that was because it was still early, and he was a bit more stout then some of the pregnant women he used to see. When Lori had been pregnant, she had shown almost as soon as she reached her second trimester, but she'd been pregnant before with Carl, so her body knew what it was doing.

Daryl noticed the changes in his body. Sometimes he couldn't wait to pee, and he seemed to need to pee every other hour. Even though he wasn't showing, yet, his ass and thighs seemed to have put on a little weight, so he hadn't fit in the jeans he'd brought with him. He'd had to go to a clothing store in a small town and pick up some bigger jeans. He'd gone ahead and grabbed a few shirts as well for when he did start showing. His feet were swelling a bit, but only if he'd been walking around too much. So, he'd grabbed a bigger pair of boots and some socks as well. 

He remembered all this from his first pregnancy in high school. Yes, he'd been pregnant before. He'd had a crush on the high school football hunk two grades above him. The senior boy had taken a liking to him as well, to his breasts as Daryl would come to find out. The boy had used him for sex since his cheerleader girlfriend was holding out on him. When Daryl's cycle was late, he feared the worst and took a test. When the senior found out, he denied having ever been with Daryl. A rumor started around the school that Daryl had slept with some of the gangs around town and wound up pregnant. He became the whore of the school. His father forced him to abort the baby. He'd only been six weeks, then. 

Rick was just another high school senior, only his name wasn't Jeff.

When he'd finished eating the jerky and drinking the bottle of water, he sat his seat back up and turned the truck on. He drove down the long stretch of road, deciding he should stop in the near by town to try to siphon some gas and maybe stop for the night. He turned off on the exit and drove into the town, stopping in front of a pharmacy. He also needed more prenatals. He sat in the truck for a moment, listening to his surroundings and waiting to see if the sound of his truck had drawn any walkers. When none showed up, he got out and pulled his cross bow out of the back. 

He went up to the door, noticing it was already open. He banged on the door frame a few times, heart racing as he waited for walkers to come out. It was silent, so he peeked in, spotting a dead walker on the ground. He pushed the door open more, letting more light filter in. The walker looked freshly killed, so he grew nervous. Someone must've been here recently. He stepped in cautiously, eyes flicking around the dark, musty store. A wave of nausea hit him at the smell of death and he groaned quietly. He needed to hurry and get what he needed and leave the store before he lost all his lunch. He only took a couple more seconds to listen for any danger before he hurried across the store to the family planning section. He switched his back pack with his crossbow and started grabbing as many boxes of the prenatals as he could. 

He glanced at the lube, noticing several bottles were gone. He could tell it was recent cause everything around was covered in dust, but there were clean ovals were the bottles used to be. He bit his bottom lip nervously, but decided to just hurry and grab whatever else he needed so he could leave this small town behind him. He crossed over to the medication section and grabbed the few bottles of pain medicine that were left, medications that Denise had written on her instructions that were safe for pregnancy. He grabbed a few other things he needed and left the store, tossing his back pack into the back. 

He'd noticed a couple 12 packs of water, so he went back inside to get them. Another change he'd noticed in his body, was sometimes his brain just seemed to shut off. It was like he could only focus on one thing at a time. He couldn't multi task at all like he'd used to be able to do. So, as he'd reached down to grab one of the 12 packs of water, he didn't hear the walker stumble into the store and up behind him. The walker grabbed onto his shoulder and tripped over a display rack. Daryl yelped as he fell forward, his belly slamming into the packs of water on the floor. His head slammed into the glass door.

He groaned in pain, stunned from the pain in his head and the pain in his belly. He heard scuffling and the walker groaning, then the walker's body thud to the floor. As he finally felt his brain turning back on, at least to half power, his blood turned cold with fear. He blinked his eyes open, blinded by the sun shining through a hole in the ceiling. A shadow cross his vision. 

“Hey.. you okay?” The voice was soft and warm, but Daryl was too alarmed. He scrambled back, reaching for the knife in his belt. “Hey, whoa.. calm down. I won't hurt you.”

Daryl blinked more, eye focusing on the form in front of him. Wide blue eyes were looking at him with concern, golden brown strands of hair framing a bearded face. Honestly, the guy looked a little like Jesus. “... Where'd that walker go?”

“I took care of it. Don't worry, I don't think it got you.” The man smiled sweetly, kneeling down. “Are you hurt?”

The hunter slowly lowered his knife. “Think I hit my head.” His stomach was sore and he wanted to sob in fear that he may have lost his baby. He shifted into a kneeling position, hand reaching down to rub his stomach.

The Jesus look-a-like shined a flashlight on the glass door and over Daryl's head. “I don't see any blood, so I think you're alright. What's your name?”

“Daryl...” He glanced up into the man's big, blue eyes. He felt his breath catch in his throat. With the sun shining behind him, the man really did look like some kind of Savior.

“Hi, Daryl. I'm Paul, but my friends used to call me Jesus.”

Daryl snorted at that. “Really?”

Paul chuckled, leaning back and reaching up to rub his beard. “Yeah. I don't know, must be the eyes.” His eyes twinkled at Daryl mischievously, like he knew it was actually the beard and hair. He stood up, holding his hand out to help Daryl off the floor.

The hunter stared up at him for a moment, then seemed to decide Paul wasn't any danger to him and took his hand. The man was stronger than he looked, though Daryl couldn't really tell under that vest and leather duster. He helped Daryl up without seeming to use much strength. Daryl shouldered his crossbow and patted the dust off the seat of his pants. Paul watched him, that twinkle in his eyes still present. 

“Need somethin else?” Daryl raised an eyebrow at him. Why was this man still sticking around? Was he expecting a word of gratitude? Did he want to trade? Or was he just trying to act nice and then steal Daryl's truck full of supplies?

“Well... to be honest, I'm kind of hoping we could travel together.” The man became nervous, shifting from foot to foot and rubbing his gloved hands together.

“... Why?” Daryl eyed him suspiciously and stepped back. 

“Traveling alone is a bit... lonely... don't you think? It's better to have someone to watch your back, to help drive and keep watch at night.” The younger man smiled wryly. He didn't seem dangerous at all. In fact, he seemed to almost withdrawal into himself from how nervous he was. Daryl knew the feeling. He spent over half his life withdrawn and hiding his emotions.

It might be better to have back up. The further along he got into his pregnancy, the slower he would get and the more rest he would need. He would need someone to watch his back; and, if Daryl was being honest with himself, he was terrified of delivering the baby on his own. He would have to find some way to tell this guy that he was pregnant. He supposed it was better to find someone now that way they could be trust between them, because if Paul was going to help him deliver the baby, he would have to see Daryl naked.

Paul shifted again. “You've been quiet a while... what're you thinking?” It was hard to read the older man. His eyes told a lot, but he seemed to hide them under his bangs. His body language was very guarded, but Paul couldn't blame him, not in this day and age, not even before the turn. Before the turn, people were just as cruel as they were now. Paul had lived through some cruelty himself.

“Okay...” Daryl murmured. “We can travel together.” When the younger man smiled brightly, Daryl felt his chest tighten. He blushed. He barely knew the man and he already had an affect on him. “Help me finish this place, then we're gonna rest fer the night.”

“Sure thing!” Paul turned and found a crate. He started loading it with useful items while Daryl took the packs of water out to the truck.

Together, they cleared the building and got what they needed within ten minutes. They got into the truck and Daryl drove them to a residential area. They cleared the house together and Daryl put some batteries into the garage opener, nodding happily when the door opened. Paul pulled the truck in and the door shut behind him. He climbed out and followed Daryl back into the house. They got to work barricading the house, bookcases and couches to block the front and back doors. The windows were already covered with planks of wood. Daryl checked how sturdy they were. He decided they were good and started checking the kitchen. Paul came in just as Daryl opened the top cabinet, only to find a recently deceased opossum. The smell was terrible, making Daryl's stomach churn. He shut the door and turned to the sink quickly, retching into the stainless steel. 

“Whoa! Are you okay?” The younger man hurried over to him, hand going to his back. 

Daryl finished, panting and shaking. He'd already fought back the vomiting once due to the walker at the pharmacy, but freshly dead rodent pushed him over his limit. “'m fine...” He groaned and accepted the wet wash cloth Paul handed him, wiping his mouth. He took the bottled water Paul had used to wet the cloth and rinsed out his mouth. He spit out the water and lingering vomit and wiped his mouth again. He hated throwing up. Since the symptom first showed up, he threw up at least two or three times a day.

Paul gently pushed his hair back from his face, immediately removing his hand when Daryl flinched back from the touch. “Why don't you go lay down? We've got the house cleared and barricaded. I checked the bedrooms upstairs and the master suite is fairly untouched, so its safe to sleep in.” The hunter nodded after a moment. “Want me to bring you up anything?”

“Nah, 'm fine.” He grabbed his back pack and went upstairs. He went into the master bedroom and tossed his bag on the bed. He flopped down on his back, rubbing his face tiredly. He had to admit, he and Paul made a good team. They knew what needed to be done and trusted each other to get it done, almost like he and Rick used to do. The thought made him tear up. Fuck, he was such a hormonal mess. He rubbed his eyes furiously and sat up.

He decided to wash up, so he undressed and went into the bathroom. He took a chance checking to see if the shower worked at all, and amazed when it came on. It didn't have a strong flow, but it was good enough for Daryl. He grabbed some soap from his bag and went back into the bathroom. He normally didn't care to be clean, but he had a baby to think about now, so he took better care of himself. He didn't take very long, since the water was cold. He dried off and pulled on clean clothes. He laid down, rubbing his belly. He was mad at himself for losing that sonogram photo. 

Exhausted, he fell asleep.

 

Rick wandered around Alexandria, fists clenched tightly. Something had been off for several days, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was nightfall by the time he'd rounded the whole community and made it back to the gate where Rosita was on shift. She nodded to him in greeting and he nodded back, stopping a few feet away and putting his hands on his hips. 

“Something wrong, Rick?” 

“I'm not sure. Last couple days it feels like something's missing. Like something's off. I feel on edge.” Rick sighed tiredly, reaching one hand up to rub his face. 

Rosita glanced around. “I haven't seen Daryl in a couple days, not since he left the other night to go hunting.” 

The ex deputy stared at her in shock. “He left at night..? And you let him out?”

She shrugged a bit. “Dixon can handle himself. I know there's a cabin not far from here that he stays in sometimes. It's not like it's the first time he's stayed out of the community over night.”

That's what was off. Daryl was gone. “And you said he hasn't come back?” Rick wasn't sure how to feel about this. Daryl was his brother, his best friend and he'd just left?

“Not from what I can tell.” The Latina woman shrugged a bit and shook her head. “I mean, I left on a run the morning after and just got back last night. I haven't seen him today. Did you check his house?” 

Rick sighed heavily. “Not yet.” He'd been avoiding being alone with Daryl for a while. Since the last time they'd talked he'd pretty much shot down any and all romantic and sexual feelings between them. Daryl hadn't been too happy after that conversation. He'd locked himself up in his house for several days after, so Rick hadn't seen him in nearly a week now. He'd grown used to having Daryl at his side for every matter be it dangerous or mere watch. “Thanks, Rosita.” He patted her shoulder and she nodded. 

He turned away from her and started back down the road. Daryl had preferred being close to the gate, and even though it was dark, Rick knew just how far down to go. He hurried up the steps of the dark blue house and knocked on the door. After a couple seconds, the house remained silent and Daryl didn't answer, so Rick knocked again, louder this time thinking maybe the hunter was just asleep. When the door remained closed after a couple minutes, Rick tried the knob and opened it. He stepped in, glancing around the dark house. 

“Daryl?”

All that greeted him was silence. He frowned and grabbed a small flashlight he kept on his utility belt and flicked it on. He shined it around. The house seemed empty, unlived in, but then it had always looked like that. Daryl hadn't been the cleanest person, but he'd kept his house clean. He called out again and started up the stairs. When he reached the top, he went into Daryl's room and shined the light around. The bed was made and looked unslept in. He went to the closet, yanking it open and feeling his heart race at the empty hangers. He ran to the drawers, yanking them all open to find them empty. He screamed out, feeling his chest tighten.

“DARYL!” 

All of Daryl's weapons and personal affects were gone, vanished into the night along with the hunter. Rick fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. The flashlight hit the floor with a dull thud, rolling away a few inches and shining dimly into the dark, empty hallway. Rick sobbed, rocking back and forth and gripping his chest. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. Everything was wrong. Everyone was leaving him. How could he have let one of the good things in his life go? How could he had let himself treat Daryl so badly that the hunter felt he didn't belong anymore? Where could he had gone?


	3. Ch. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Family is pissed at Rick

“How did you know I was in danger that day we first met?” They’d been traveling together for several weeks now. Daryl’s belly was starting to show. He hadn’t told Paul, yet, but he knew the man somehow knew, or at least had an inkling. It wasn’t like the scars from his double mastectomy were invisible. Since they’d had to bathe together within the same vicinity, he knew Paul had seen them. Not to mention since Daryl had to piss so much. It was like one tiny sip of water filled his bladder.

Paul looked at him from where he was driving the truck. He seemed to hesitate to answer, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. The hunter glared at him a bit in suspicion and Paul decided he should probably answer. He cleared his throat and sniffed a bit. “Depends.”

Daryl raised an eyebrow, rubbing his belly. The bruise had vanished, and he hasn’t bled out, yet, so he hoped the baby was alright. “On?”

Paul smiled nervously, eyes focused on the road. “Do you want the truth, or should I make something up? I'm not sure you'd like the truth.”

“Don’t like liars.” Daryl murmured. Rick had lied to him once or twice. Not to mention all the other people that had lied to him. Merle, his father, boys he'd dated before his sex change, they'd all lied to him at one point or another.

“Truth it is.” Paul murmured back. He took a deep breath and released it in a nervous puff. “Okay! Uh… I-I’d been following you for a couple days. I spotted you at that cabin in the forest. You seemed… happy… being alone, but I also noticed you were… a bit… scatterbrained.” He really hoped Daryl didn’t take offense to that. He shifted in the driver's seat, feeling Daryl's ever growing glare directed at him. “You didn't notice the five walkers starting to surround the cabin. I took them out before they could get in. I mean your defense was really good, but walkers are persistent-”

Daryl growled, shoving Paul’s shoulder. “So ya wanted ta be prince charmin ‘n come ta my rescue like some fuckin damsel in distress?!”

Paul winced, quickly righting the truck when it swerved. “No! I just… you’re pregnant, right?” He pulled over and put the truck in park, turning to face the hunter. He didn't know if Daryl would shove him again or even punch him, so he couldn't risk wrecking their only vehicle. Who knows when they'd find another car in as good shape as the hunter had kept this truck.

The hunter blinked at him, leaning back a bit and hugging his stomach protectively. “… How did you know?” He'd kinda figured the ninja might suspect, but now that he knew that Paul knew he hoped this didn't mean the man was actually dangerous or not.

Paul reached into the pocket of his vest, pulling out the sonogram photo Daryl had thought he’d lost. When the hunter reached out for it, he gave it willingly. “I found this in that cabin. You were asleep and had this on your pillow. At first I thought you just… carried it around as a reminder of the past, but then I noticed you also had prenatals and clothes that were bigger than you seemed to fit. I put the pieces together.” Daryl listened intently, staring down at the sonogram. “Life is precious, Daryl. You can take care of yourself for the most part, but you need someone to watch your back and to help you deliver the baby. I was a nurse, so I know a little bit.”

Daryl glanced up at him, biting his bottom lip. He’s felt safer having the other man around. He wasn’t so worried about going into the bigger cities and facing more than one walker at a time anymore. Paul was badass. He could be surrounded by walkers and take them all out in seconds. Daryl often teased him by calling him Ninja Christ. “And after I have the baby..? You gonna just leave?”

Paul smiled warmly, reaching a hand up to pet Daryl’s scruffy cheek. When the hunter leaned back from the touch, he gave him a second to process that he meant no harm. He gently placed his hand on Daryl's cheek. “Of course not. I’m a little too attached to you now.” When the hunter nodded, seemingly content with the answer, Paul pulled back out onto the road. “Wanna look at the map, give me a direction to go?”

Daryl reached for the map on the dashboard, opening it up and taking a couple minutes to study it. “Looks like we’re about thirty minutes out from Charlottesville.”

Paul nodded. “We’ll stop there for the night. I’ve been there a couple times, so I have an idea where some stores are that we can stock up on food. How are your prenatals?” He didn’t realize his hand had landed on Daryl’s thigh, but the hunter didn’t seem to notice; and if he did, he didn’t seem to mind.

Daryl was all too aware of Paul’s hand on his thigh, but it felt right. The air in the truck felt domestic, like they were a couple on a trip before they had the baby. “Um… they’re fine. I got plenty.”

“We’ll get more, just in case.” Paul took a risk and let his thumb rub the inside of Daryl’s thigh, not trying to be seductive, more soothing.

Daryl folded the map and put it away. “Did ya grow up in Virginia?”

The younger man smiled and nodded. “Yeah, grew up in an orphanage in Richmond. Barely passed high school, but once I graduated, I got out of that city. Went to collage in Fredericksburg and visited Charlottesville a couple times.” He glanced at the hunter. “Judging by your accent, you’re not from around here, are you?”

Daryl shook his head. “Grew up in rural Georgia. Traveled around with my brother a bit, but we never left Georgia. Only left Georgia after the turn. Was in a community in Alexandria fer a while.”

Paul looked at him. “You were in a community?” At the hunter’s nod, Paul frowned. He returned his attention to the road. “Why did you leave? You would’ve been safe. Were you with other people when you left?”

“Nah… left on my own.” Daryl murmured, picking at his fingernails.

Judging by the direction Daryl had been traveling when Paul first saw him, and if Paul’s memory of a map of Virginia was correct, the hunter had been traveling away from Alexandria. He’d been traveling for a while. “Were you trying to get away from the father?” Daryl’s silence only confirmed Paul’s suspicions, so he left the matter alone.

About twenty minutes later, Paul saw the turn off for Charlottesville and took it. It didn’t take them much longer to reach the town. It had such an old feel to it with all the brick buildings and statues, but it also looked like a ghost town. Half the buildings had fire damage or the windows broken. Cars were parked as if the drivers had left in a hurry and dead bodies lay all over the streets and side walks. It was normal to Daryl and Paul, however. It looked like any other town and city they’d been to. Paul parked down the street from a line of stores ranging from clothing stores, antique shops and candy stores. Daryl looked at him in confusion.

“What? There might be something we need in them. I’m gonna siphon these cars. Will you be okay in that candy shop?”

“Yeah…” It was a bit nerve wracking, but they didn’t have a lot of sun left, so they couldn’t spend too much time searching these stores and siphoning gas. It would be better to split up. As he peeked carefully into the candy store he couldn't help but think of the last run he'd been on with Rick. 

It had been a hot day, much like this one, only much more muggy. He thought it must've been around July on that run with Rick and it was now well into September. They'd stopped at some old gas station that was long abandoned. Daryl had hoped that when Rick had asked him to go on a run alone with him that they would be able to talk about their relationship. He'd been too scared to bring it up himself, so he'd waited for Rick to say something. They'd cleared the gas station and filled up every tiny last space of the Sorghum truck they could. The drive back to Alexandria, Daryl finally decided to speak up. 

“Rick, d'ya jus... not want me anymore?” Daryl felt like a dumb bitch asking such a question. He'd never been one of those girls, insecure about a relationship or about themselves. He'd always known who he was. As a young girl he knew he should've been born a boy. He hated those girly clothes and toys. He'd preferred running around bare foot and getting dirty. When he'd mentioned this to his father he'd gotten the beating of his life, so he pushed those feelings away and became the girl every one expected him to be.

Rick glanced at him, munching on the bit of candy Daryl had given him. “What're you talkin about?”

Daryl glared at him some. “Since we lost the prison you ain't touched me once.” The ex deputy went quiet, as if seeming to pretend he hadn't heard what Daryl said. “Rick, ya said-” The hunter huffed and paused. He didn't want to become one of those girls that used a man's words against them. He looked out the window, trying to figure out how to talk to Rick about what he was feeling. 

“I said you're my brother.” The man murmured, not even looking at Daryl. “Nothin more, nothin less.”

That was all the confirmation Daryl needed. His heart shattered all over again, only this time it was his own fault for getting his hopes up. They'd spent the rest of the ride in silence. When they'd gotten back to Alexandria, Daryl walked away immediately, ignoring Rick calling out to him to help unload the truck. The hunter had gone to his house and locked himself inside for several days. That was when the morning sickness had started.

Daryl stared down at the walker's body, tears in his eyes from the stench and from the memory. He grabbed a handkerchief out of his back pocket and covered his nose so he didn't throw up his lunch. He passed the walker and started going down the aisles. When he came upon cans of nuts, he opened his back pack and started throwing them in. He found a few other odd and end things that could be used or eaten and put them in his bag as well. He was just about to leave when he saw a shelf by the door with a purple stuffed dog with hearts on its ears. He stared at it and found he wanted it for his baby, so he reached up and grabbed it. He stepped out just as Paul was coming up to the door with two cans of gas. 

“Hey.” Paul smiled at him. “Find anything useful?” He spotted the stuffed dog and smiled more. “That's so cute.”

Daryl nodded. “Yeah, thought the baby might like it. Oh, 'n I find some nuts 'n trail mixes.” He blushed when Paul gave him a teasing grin. 

“Nuts, huh? Didn't know you were looking for some or I would've given you mine.” He chuckled when Daryl tossed the light weighted bag of trail mix at him, cheeks red and eyes glaring. “Come on, let me put these in the truck and we'll go check the rest of the stores.” He carried the gas cans to the truck and put them in the back with the others. 

Daryl picked his back pack up and shouldered it again. He was a hormonal mess. Normally the thought of seeing a man's cock and balls didn't embarrass him, but the thought of seeing Paul's had his heart racing and his loins tingling. He thought being pregnant would've turned him off from sex. The younger man was too damn attractive, though. It was his eyes especially that made Daryl's heart race. As they walked down the side walk, he couldn't help wondering how big the younger man was. He's had sex before, obviously, and Rick was decently sized, but he never quite managed to reach that spot Daryl knew could make him see stars. Would Paul be able to reach that sweet spot and make Daryl orgasm so hard?

When Daryl chocked on air, Paul looked over at him. Daryl's cheeks were flushed and his eyes were glazed over. The scout smirked, nudging the hunter's side with his elbow. “Your cheeks are flushed. What're you thinking about?”

“Nothin!” Daryl glared at him and walked into a toy store. Paul chuckled and followed behind him, eyes on Daryl's ass. The hunter was a very attractive man, and the pregnancy and those jeans made his ass look so damn good.

 

“What do you mean he's gone?!” Maggie yelled, arms crossed over her chest and looking quite furiously at the Alexandrian leader. “And for how long?!” Glenn stood next to her, staring at the dirt ground of Hilltop. They'd found the community a couple weeks ago during a run to one of the near by towns. Doctor Carson had been in the local CVS searching for prenatal vitamins when Maggie accidentally startled him. Since then, he'd been her OB. She was currently 10 weeks pregnant. 

Rick licked his lips and tilted his head a bit. “I told you, Maggie. He left a few nights after that run I took with him when we found the Sorghum truck full of food. Since then, he's been gone for maybe a month.”

“Why didn't you tell us sooner?! You kept saying he was on a run or he's out hunting or scouting! Why did you lie to us?!” The only remaining Greene child was furious. Daryl had been her closest friend. “What was going through your mind that compelled you to keep this-”

“Because it's my fault he left!” Rick roared, making Maggie and Glenn both take a step back in shock. Everyone around them who had been listening in on the conversation all looked at Rick in shock or confusion. 

Michonne crossed her arms over her chest. “Rick, what're you talking about?” Judith fussed in Carl's arms, making him shush her and bounce her to try to soothe her. “What happened between you and Daryl?”

Rick sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. His beard was coming back in and he had no intention of shaving it this time. Daryl had always enjoyed his beard and had been very disappointed when he'd shaved away the mountain man look he'd had going. “... Daryl and I... we had a thing... back at the prison.”

Glenn blinked and glanced around. Everyone else was just as confused or pissed. “A thing..? Like... what kind of thing?”

The ex deputy's cheeks flushed and he glanced away in embarrassment. “We were having sex. It was... partly stress relief and partly... more. He was... he fell in love and I didn't.”

Maggie and Michonne both clenched their fists and glared at their leader for different reasons. They both stepped closer to Rick, standing side by side and giving the man their iciest glares. Rick stepped back, not liking how furious the women were, even if for different reasons. He swallowed thickly, turning his gaze to the dirt under his feet.

“So you led him on..?”

“Were you two still having sex when you got with me, Rick?” 

They spoke at the time and Rick had to debate which one to answer first. “No and no! I didn't know he felt that way until we went on that run! After the prison it was too dangerous to have sex out in the open and at Terminus he became more of a brother than anything!”

“So, what, you're gonna do the same to me? Use me as stress relief and then drop me as soon as someone better comes along?” Michonne shook her head when Rick sputtered out a response that he would never do that to her. “I don't know if I can trust you. We're done, Rick.” She turned away, pulling Maggie with her. “We need to find Daryl before winter sets in.”

“But how? He's been gone for a month. He could too far away now.” Maggie sniffled, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Her hormones were going haywire. 

Rosita and Glenn followed after them. “Daryl's family. He would never go too far away from us. He's probably been watching over us this whole time.” He put a hand on Maggie's back, rubbing soothingly. “We'll send out some scouting parties, look for any evidence that someone's been lurking around.”

Rosita nodded in agreement. “I'll get a few people together and we'll check in some of the towns. If we have to keep going further out, we will. We'll find him, Maggie. Don't worry.”

Maggie nodded, sniffling again. “Yeah. Okay.”

Michonne hugged her close. “You just stay here and make sure that asshole Gregory doesn't screw shit up. Let us worry about Daryl and Alexandria.” She kissed Maggie's hair and gently nuged her toward the Barrington House. She turned back to Rick, glaring at him. “Let's head back to Alexandria so we can start planning a search party for Daryl.” 

Rick sighed and followed her back to the car. He really fucked up. He got into the back and leaned his head against the seat behind him, eyes closed. He really missed Daryl. Since the beginning, the hunter had been by his side helping him through every situation. They'd become so close, and now he was gone.

 

“So... you was a nurse?”

Paul looked up from where he was studying the map on the hood of their truck. He smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I mostly worked in the ER, but I occasionally went where ever they needed me. I was studying to be a Nurse Practitioner for obstetrics when the world went to shit. So, I know a little bit about birth and babies.”

Daryl nodded, looking back down at his little trail mix Paul had put together for him out of dried fruit, peanuts and some sweet jerky. “I'm glad you do. Cause I don't know shit about babies.” He'd been pregnant once, but had terminated the baby almost immediately. He briefly wondered what it would've been like to have a baby at 16. It would've been all grown up now. Part of him was glad he'd gotten an abortion, he didn't think he would've survived losing a child in this world.

The nurse chuckled. “I'm sure you'll be fine. A lot of it is motherly instinct. You and the baby are going to have a special bond. It may or may not happen right away. Every baby and mother are different.” He folded the map back up now that he had an idea of where they were and where they should head next. 

The hunter made a face at the word 'mother'. He wasn't going to be a 'mother'. Yes, he was pregnant and going to have a baby, but he was going to be the baby's father, not it's mother. Daryl zipped the zip lock bag back up and carefully hopped back down from the hood of the truck. “... Did you ever want kids?”

The ninja shrugged. “I don't know. If I found the right man, sure, I would've liked to start a family with him, but at that time in my life I was concentrating more on school and myself. I still liked to party and I wasn't really ready for a commitment.” He looked around them at all the silence and the few cars scattered along the road. “Nowadays, it's too dangerous to try. You could die or your significant other could die so fast you wouldn't even get to say good bye.”

Daryl looked around as well. It wasn't just the walkers and other survivors that was dangerous anymore. Love could hurt more than starvation and dehydration. Daryl's heart had broken more times in the last few months than it had his entire life. Rick had done a number on him, and if he hadn't been pregnant with a precious life he probably would've given up and let a walker take him or just throw himself off a cliff. As they got into the truck and Paul started it up, Daryl put one foot up on the dash and sipped some water, his other hand rubbing his belly. 

Truth be told, this baby saved his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make me write more <3


	4. Ch. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Descriptions of feminine anatomy.

“I can't believe we found these!” Paul excitedly tore open the package containing the battery operated radio. Next to him were five or six CDs and a large pack of batteries. Daryl smiled a bit. Paul was beautiful in the dim lighting of the battery operated lamp sitting next to them. They'd been staying at this house for several days now. The small town was fairly untouched, so they decided to hang out and gather as much stuff as they could. “I loved this kind of music before the turn. They played in clubs all the time.”

The hunter picked up the CDs and started looking through them, squinting in the dim lighting to try to read the band names ranging from Daft Punk, The Weeknd and Bruno Mars. He didn't know any of these bands. He'd been raised on classic rock and old time country. “What the fuck is Daft Punk?”

Paul chuckled, taking one of the CDs and tearing open the wrapper. He pulled the CD out and put it into the radio. “They were a duo from France that use a lot of bass and robotic voices. They were amazing. A lot of clubs played music that they did.” He tried to turn the radio on, but nothing happened. He blinked in confusion, hitting the power button again. “What's going on? Why won't it work?”

Daryl cleared his throat and picked up the batteries. “Battery operated, ain't it?” He wiggled it back and forth, smirking at the ninja teasingly. The younger man looked up at him, cheeks flushing as he realized he'd forgotten to put the batteries in. He'd been too excited.

Paul chuckled in embarrassment. “You'd think I'm the one with the pregnant brain.” He took the batteries and tore the package open, not wasting any time to put the batteries in.

The hunter picked up the empty CD case, reading the band name and studying the art work. “They spelled weekend wrong.” He pointed out the band name to Paul. They were sitting close together, so he could practically feel the younger man vibrating with excitement. The heat coming off him wasn't helping, either. The sexual tension between them was thick and Paul didn't bother to hide how he flirted.

The younger man chuckled and took the CD from him. “They did it on purpose. It was supposed to be hip.” He turned it around to look at the tracks on the CD. He turned the radio on and skipped the first few tracks. A soft radio beat started playing, then a soft masculine voice followed along. Paul smiled and closed his eyes, swaying slowly with the gentle, sad rhythm. 

Daryl stared at the younger man. He seemed to love this kind of music, the kind of music that played in night clubs and hip stores. Paul was definitely the kind to wear tight skinny jeans, revealing shirts and drink mix drinks and dance with girls who were his best friends. He'd take home some man who bought him drinks and danced the night away with him and either never speak to him again or save his number to call for those lonely nights after a hard day at work. 

Paul was beautiful. Daryl wanted to be one of those men he would take home at night and maybe go out for coffee or lunch the next day. He wanted to dance behind the beautiful man, hands on his hips and nuzzling into his soft, slightly sweaty hair. He wondered if Paul would still want him after he found out he wasn't really a man, not physically at least. The younger man didn't seem the type to judge someone based on their looks and body. Then again, he would probably rather be friends. Daryl sighed to himself, rubbing his belly. He'd been feeling so fluttering like butterflies in his belly all day, but he didn't know if it was the baby moving or his growing feelings for the ninja. 

The younger man stood up, reaching down to help Daryl up as well. “Dance with me.”

Daryl blushed. “I.. I don't dance. Ain't very graceful.” He followed Paul to the middle of the room anyways where the light was dimer. He watched the ninja push the mattress they'd been using to the wall, along with a table and couch, giving them more room to dance. 

Paul smiled as he walked back up to Daryl. “You don't have to be graceful.” He walked to the radio and turned it up a little more so they could still hear it. “Just do what feels right, do what feels natural.” He put his hands on Daryl's shoulders, starting to sway his hips and torso to the slow rhythm. He stared up into Daryl's nervous eyes, stepping closer when the hunter's large, rough hands went to his hips, shaking with nerves. “There you go... just go slow...” He murmured. 

The older man swallowed nervously, swaying his hips a bit clumsily, blushing when their hips met and grinded occasionally. The song changed, though the beat stayed soft and slow, almost sad. Paul closed his eyes, smiling softly and immersing himself in the music and the hunter's warmth. He moved even closer to the older man, warmth and giddy butterflies filling him. He could smell Daryl from this close. Daryl was all sweaty musk and engine oil from fixing their car that afternoon. He never thought he would find that kind of scent arousing, but it seemed to fit Daryl, pregnant or not. He'd been worried about Daryl out in the heat, but the man seemed to know what he was doing and got it down quick. 

Daryl was starting to feel the music now as Paul moved closer. Their torsos met and their hips grinded slowly. He turned his head, nose burying in the younger man's hair. He felt Paul's nose brush under his ear and bit back a moan. He sighed softly, hands sliding up under Paul's shirt. Paul felt good in his arm and close to him. The younger man was all warmth and sweet honey. He felt Paul shiver and licked his lips. He could feel himself getting aroused, though he hadn't thought it would be possible. After what happened with Rick and now carrying a baby, he didn't think he could feel arousal again. 

A more energetic and bouncy beat came on and Paul seemed to feel it immediately. He turned in Daryl's arms, his own arms going above his head and hips swaying faster. His eyes remained closed, singing along with the radio. “You've been scared of lo-ove and what it did to you. You don't have to ru-un, I know what you've been through. Just a simple to-ouch and it can set free. We don't have to ru-ush when you're alone with me.” 

The words hit Daryl in the heart. He felt his chest tighten and his throat close. It felt as though Paul was singing the words to him. He held Paul closer, fingers gripping him tighter. He breathed in Paul's sweet scent, feeling the smell and warmth soothe him. Paul's arms came down, one sliding through Daryl's hair and the other pulling the hunter's calloused hand under his shirt to rub his belly. The younger man turned his head, eyes opening and looking into Daryl's shy gaze. His hand slid down to Daryl's stubbly cheek, rubbing gently. His cheeks were pinking up, obviously very much enjoying the intimate closeness of the older man. 

“Daryl...” 

Just Paul whispering his name in such a low, aroused tone had Daryl whimpering softly. Their lips met softly, a simple peck that lingered longer than Daryl was used to. A soft whine escape Paul's throat as he pulled back, eyes opening to look into the hunter's again. He turned in Daryl's arms slowly, arms wrapping around his shoulders and pressing close again. The older man licked his lips and Paul smiled, knowing exactly what he wanted. He leaned in and kissed Daryl again, deeper this time. Their lips moved and their tongues teased. Paul moaned softly. It'd been so long since he'd been kissed like this. Daryl sucked the younger man's tongue into his mouth, shivering at the loud moan he got in response. 

Paul pulled away from the kiss, panting softly. “Damn. You're really good.”

“So are you.” Daryl whispered. He could feel the beginnings of a hard on in Paul's jeans and felt his face heat up. He nuzzled his nose against Paul's, hands sliding up the younger man's back. His back was so smooth and felt good against his calloused fingers. Paul seemed to enjoy the touch as well, whining softly and arching into the touch. 

They weren't even listening to the music anymore. Between the passionate kisses and soft moans and whimpers coming from them both, the music was drowned out. Daryl wasn't sure how long they'd been kissing, but he didn't want to stop. He could feel how aroused the younger man was getting and it excited him. He could feel himself getting wet and aroused, elated that someone as handsome and beautiful as Paul wanted him. He pulled away from the hot kiss, panting shuddering with need. He felt Paul's hands slide under his shirt to his back and tensed a bit. 

Paul looked up at him. “Are you alright?” He whispered,hands instantly stilling. 

“Yeah, it's just-” he cut himself off, shifting a little bit further away from the younger man. “I really want you. It feels good ta be with you, kiss you 'n hold you close. I know we ain't known each other long, but... it feels like we have, ya know?”

The ninja smiled. “I know what you mean. I knew from the first moment I saw you in that cabin you were special.” He stepped closer to Daryl, hands going to his hips. “What's going through your mind?”

“You-you know I'm trans, obviously. I'm pregnant with another man's child and I've had a double mastectomy” He rubbed his belly as if to prove his point. “I just... I want you to be sure you want me before we do anything more.” After what happened with Rick, he didn't want to make the same mistake twice, not with someone as amazing as the younger man.

Paul shook his head and reached his hands up to pet the hunter's cheeks. “Daryl, I'm going to be honest and say I've never been with a woman or someone in transition, but I believe you are well worth the experience and effort.”

Daryl surged close again, kissing him deeply, fingers in his hair. He knew Paul wouldn't care about the scars. Paul wasn't that kind of person, not like Rick. He was a far better man than Rick could ever be. Paul groaned and kissed back, pressing closer to Daryl again. He yanked his shirt off, gently tugging at Daryl's to ask for permission to remove it as well. The hunter leaned back just enough to remove his own shirt, letting Paul's hands run over his chest. Paul stared at the scars where the surgeon had taken the older man's breasts. 

“I know... they're ugly-”

“You're beautiful.” Paul whispered, interrupting Daryl's nervous murmur. He smiled and leaned in to kiss each scar. “They show how brave you were to take a chance at happiness. Even if you didn't get to finish your transition, you're still a handsome man to me, no matter what's between your legs.” He kissed Daryl softly, hands lightly rubbing his baby bump. “Can I lay you down?”

Daryl whined greedily. “Yeah.” He let Paul lead him over to the mattress and laid down carefully on his back. His baby bump stuck out more laying down, making him shift nervously. 

“Shh...” Paul cooed softly, leaning down to kiss along the hunter's belly. “It's a miracle.” He felt a tap against his lips a smiled. “It's moving.”

Daryl blushed and nodded. “Been feelin it all day.” He smiled, feeling more flutters against the younger man's lips. “Guess that means the baby's alright. I think it knows you.”

Paul chuckled a bit and nuzzled the place where the baby was moving. “I doubt it.”

“Nah, it does. You've been protectin us fer over a month now, makin sure we're safe 'n that we have enough ta eat 'n drink, shelter every night. You've been more of a father to it than Rick ever woulda been.” Daryl whispered, voice shaking as he gently stroked his fingers through Paul's hair. 

Paul never thought such words would arouse him, but coming from Daryl they did. This was Daryl's way of telling Paul he was welcome to say in their lives once the baby was born. They were a family. He whined and leaned down, kissing the older man deeply. He minded the baby bump, hand petting the tight skin to let the baby know he was still there. “Daryl, I need you... want you so bad.”

Daryl's cheeks flushed. He felt the ninja's nimble fingers at his belt and he nodded after a moment. He licked his lips, feeling the belt release and his jeans unbutton. He lifted his hips, helping to push his pants and boxers down. Paul leaned back, tossing the clothes aside. He bit his bottom lip, eyes roving over the hunter's body. Daryl kept his legs open, letting Paul get his fill and process what he was seeing. Paul's eyes darkened with arousal, seeing how wet Daryl was for him. He was nervous. He'd never worked with... this equipment... before, but he was eager to try. He wanted to please the other man.

“Want me to remove my pants, too?” When the hunted nodded, Paul reached down to unbuckle his own belt and push the loose cargo pants down. He tossed the pants and his briefs aside, letting Daryl see his girthy cock. 

Daryl shifted, feeling his pussy tighten with need. Paul was much bigger than Rick and fuck Daryl wanted it. Paul saw the look in Daryl's eyes and how his hole twitched. He grinned and leaned down, blowing softly on the older man's labia. The hunter whined, spreading his legs more and whispering a soft plea. Paul had no idea what he was doing, so he just did what felt right. He flicked his tongue against what he assumed was Daryl's clitoris before licking down into his hole, groaning at the warm taste. There was a hint of saltiness from sweat, but Paul paid no mind to it.

Daryl gasped. Rick had never done this for him despite the amount of time Daryl had sucked his cock. Paul's tongue was hot and wet, licking into him so wonderfully. He sighed, enjoying the feel of Paul's tongue and lips on him. The younger man's beard scratched his thighs and labia, making him shudder and moan from the raw sensitivity. The more Paul licked at him, the more aroused he got, his hole spreading open to welcome the slick appendage. He whined, hips rocking and bucking into the ninja's face. “Gonna make me cum...” Paul groaned, pushing his tongue in as deep as he could. Daryl's back arched, keening loudly as he reached orgasm. 

Paul sat back, chin and beard wet from saliva and Daryl's slick. “Was it good?” His voice shook with nerves. He'd never oraled a pussy before. 

Daryl smiled at him breathlessly. “It felt amazing.” He reached up to pull Paul down into a kiss. He groaned at the taste of himself on the ninja's lips. He reached down, wrapping a hand around Paul's cock. Paul groaned into the kiss, hips bucking into the hunter's calloused hand. Daryl's fist was firm, stroking from base to tip slowly, his fingers teasing the head to gather precum. 

“Fuck, baby, feels so good.” He kissed down the hunter's neck, biting into his neck just under his ear and sucking a mark. “Please.” He whined softly, nuzzling his nose under the hunter's ear. “Do we have any lube or oil?”

Daryl hummed softly. “Think there's some unscented baby lotion in my bag.” He whined when Paul pulled away. 

They were just close enough that Paul could just grab the bag and pull it closer. He yanked it open and dug inside until he found the pink bottle and pulled it out, making sure it was the unscented kind. He crawled back between Daryl's legs, unscrewing the cap and pouring some on his fingers. “If it burns, tell me.”

“It won't, but I'll tell you if it does.” He licked his lips, sighing as Paul pushed two fingers in. If Daryl was being honest with himself, he didn't really need the prep. He was wet and open enough, but he figured it would make Paul feel better to do it. 

Paul couldn't wait to get inside Daryl. He didn't think women needed much prep, but he wanted to make sure he didn't hurt the older man. He leaned down, kissing along Daryl's belly and smiling when the baby kept kicking at him. He looked up at the hunter, sighing at the look of bliss on the older man's face. “Does it feel good?”

Daryl nodded, rocking his hips into Paul's fingers. “Feels so good, can't wait to feel yer cock.”

The ninja bit his bottom lip, spreading his fingers open to make sure Daryl was ready. He pulled them out and spread the baby lotion over his cock. He knee walked closer, pulling the hunter's legs over his shoulders. He hesitated after a moment. “This isn't going to crush the baby, is it?”

The older man chuckled and shook his head. “No, it ain't. The baby's protected by plenty'a fluid, muscles 'n organs.” He pulled the ninja closer again, tilting his hips up more. “C'mon... need you.”

Paul went to push in, then hesitated again. “Uh... should I wear a condom?”

Daryl huffed, squirming. “'m already pregnant 'n I haven't had a cycle in four months. If ya wanna wear a condom, then we should stop now, cause I ain't got none.” Paul leaned down and kissed him deeply, pushing in deeply to stop Daryl from ranting. The hunter gasped and moaned into the kiss, rocking up into the thrust. “Fuck... Paul...”

They groaned together, lips barely touching and eyes staring. Paul was long and big, reaching every sweet spot Rick had never found. Daryl's body was hot and flushed, feeling the heat swirling in his loins. His hands held Paul's cheeks, keeping him close while their hips moved. He was so tight and hot around Paul, making the younger man groan with every thrust. He kept it slow and deep, grinding his hips to make sure he gave Daryl the most pleasure possible. Daryl huffed a soft moan, kissing Paul again and again. The ninja's hair fell around their faces like a curtain. He was all around Daryl, deep inside him and breathing the same air. It all felt so good. It had never felt like this with Rick. This was making love, not fucking.

“Daryl, I'm not gonna last long. You feel so amazing.” Paul whined, burying his face in Daryl's neck. He lowered the older man's legs from his shoulders to wrap around his waist. The new angle allowed him to thrust in deeper, making the hunter cry out and tighten around him.

Daryl groaned, arching into Paul's body. “Fuck... me, too. 'm so close, baby, please, just a lil more.” He hugged the younger man close and tight, kissing his neck and shoulders and sucking marks into his skin.

Paul gasped and groaned, he started thrusting harder and faster, pounding into Daryl's body to chase that sweet release. He bit down on Daryl's neck, grinding into him as he released deep inside with a groan. Daryl dug his nails into Paul's back, squeezing his legs around his hips as he shuddered with his second orgasm. He whined at the feeling of the younger man's hot release inside him. When Paul tried to pull out, he tightened his arms around the ninja's shoulders, holding him close.

“Jus... stay inside for a while.. please?” He nuzzled Paul's neck, enjoying the intimate warmth of how close they were. 

Paul smiled, kissing Daryl's sweaty hair. “Alright.” He let Daryl's legs fall from around his waist, hands rubbing his thighs and hips soothingly. “You're so amazing, Daryl.” He kissed the hunter softly, petting his hands up his sides. “I'm never going to leave you.” 

Daryl sighed softly, his own hands petting up and down Paul's back. He felt safe under the man, in his arms. He knew full well Paul would truly never leave him. He took comfort in that fact. He took comfort in knowing that Paul would protect him and his-no-their child for as long as he lived. Daryl prayed that Paul would never get hurt.


	5. Ch. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Daryl run into trouble.

Paul woke slowly the next morning, eyes blinking blearily in somewhat confusion. He felt warm and so very much more relaxed than he's been in a long time. Sex had always been the best stress reliever for him. He sighed and nuzzled into the body he was cuddling, breathing in his bed partner's scent of sweat, sex and motor oil. Wait... motor oil? His eyes snapped open and he sat up in alarm, eyes looking down at Daryl. He stared down at the sleeping hunter, cheeks flushing as the events from last night came back to him. 

'Oh God, I acted like such a damn slut!' He groaned quietly and covered his face, internally screaming and smacking himself. The older man was pregnant with a previous lover's child and Paul had danced and seduced him like a horny teenager. What the fuck was wrong with him? How could he do such a terrible thing? God, what Daryl must think of him now!

“If yer regretting last night, you better tell me right now.”

Paul froze and looked down at the older man. Daryl was still facing away from him, but his eyes were open and staring bitterly at the radio. “What? No! No, I swear I'm not!” He scooted closer to the hunter again. “Are-are you? God, Daryl, I feel like I took advantage.” His voice shook with nerves. He was clearly upset with himself for the way he felt he treated the older man last night.

Daryl looked over his shoulder at the ninja, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What? How? I wasn't drunk 'r high 'r nothin. Paul, I wanted everything we did last night. Thought I made it pretty clear how I feel about you.” He rolled over onto his back. “I meant everything I said last night.”

The younger man's cheeks flushed more and he smiled. “I did, too.” He leaned down, kissing Daryl softly as he stroked his stubbly cheek. “How are you feeling?” He whispered, nuzzling their noses together. 

The hunter smiled, nuzzling into Paul's hand. “I'm alright. A little hungry.” He lowered his voice to try to sound seductive.

Paul immediately sat up, looking over at their bags where they kept the food. “Let me get you something to-”

Daryl interrupted him, pulling the ninja back down on top of him. He licked his lips, arranging the scout between his legs. “Ain't hungry for food, baby.” He smirked at Paul's confused look and arched his hips to grind against him.

Paul blushed as Daryl's words processed in his mind. “Oh.... oh.” He grinned and leaned down, kissing Daryl deeply again. He drew the sheet they'd covered up with last night off the older man's body, moaning softly. He pulled back from the kiss, looking down the length of Daryl's body. It didn't take him long to get hard. He'd already had some morning wood going when he woke up. It had softened when he thought he'd taken advantage of Daryl, but now that he knew last night had happened because they both wanted it he was at full mast. 

“So gorgeous.” He murmured, kissing down the hunter's chest. The hunter moaned, back arching as his lover's lips closed around one of his nipples. He gasped as he felt Paul's cock penetrate him, digging his nails into the younger man's back to keep him close. They moaned together, hips bucking and grinding, hardly any space between their sweaty bodies. 

 

A couple hours later, they were in the truck, leaving the small town and the house where they'd made love three times behind. Daryl had to admit, it was pretty hard keeping his hands to himself. Paul's cock had felt good in his mouth while they were showering. He hadn't had this problem with Rick. The ex deputy had made it pretty clear he didn't want the others knowing so Daryl had been forced to keep things strictly platonic until Rick made the first move. Paul, however, seemed to welcome every little touch and kiss. He had definitely enjoyed Daryl's mouth on him. He was a little sore, so he had one boot up on the dash to relax his hips and was feeding pieces of jerky to his... boyfriend..? Lover? 

He glanced over at the younger man, licking his lips. The jerky and taste of cum didn't meld very well, but he didn't care. The baby moved around in his belly, seeming to rest on his bladder. He shifted, feeling the need to urinate even though he'd gone before they left. Paul looked over at him, reaching to place a soothing hand on the hunter's thigh. Daryl sighed softly, pressing up into the light tough. 

“Are you okay?”

Daryl swallowed the last of his jerky. “Yeah... baby's restin on my bladder.”

Paul chuckled. “So you need to go, huh?”

“Yeah, sorry.” He blushed, feeling like such a burden. The younger man merely pulled over close to the tree line. 

“It's alright. Blame the baby.” He smiled and got out with the hunter. “I'll take watch, so go ahead and go.”

Daryl nodded and went behind one of the trees. Paul may have had his tongue and lips all over his most private parts, but urination was still one thing he didn't want Paul to see. He pulled down his pants and knelt down. He could feel the younger man's presence just on the other side of the tree line, feeling perfectly safe. When he was done, he pulled one of the wipes from the package he'd brought with him. He wasn't going to take any chances with vaginal or urinary tract infections. He tossed the soiled wipe aside and stood up, fixing his pants. When he came around the tree, he saw Paul staring down the road with a concerned look on his face. 

“What's wrong?”

Paul looked at him for a second, then shushed Daryl gently. “Listen.”

The hunter frowned, but went quiet and listened intently. The sound of groaning and a scream cut through the silent atmosphere. “What the hell?” 

They moved forward together to the hill ahead of them, climbing it enough to look over the top. They both stared in shock at the large herd slowly ambling up the hill toward them. They couldn't be walking more than five miles an hour for the freshly turned walkers and slower for the walkers that were more decomposed. There had to have been hundreds of them, all heading toward them. Daryl moved closer to his lover, reaching to take his hand. Toward the middle of the herd, several of them seemed to be feasting on whoever it was that had screamed. Daryl swallowed thickly, feeling his stomach churn at the thought.

“Where are they all coming from?” He whispered. 

Paul shook his head. “I'm more concerned about where they're heading.” He whispered back. “We can't go this way. There's too many for the truck to go through.” They turned away from the slowly moving herd, walking back to the truck and getting in. Paul started up the truck again and turned it around. “Check the map and try to find an alternate route.”

Daryl got the map out from the glove compartment and unfolded it open. “Where we at?”

“Uh...” The younger man looked at a sign they passed. “10 miles out from Waynesboro.”

“Okay...” It took him a couple minutes to find the town on the map, but when he did he moved his finger along the paper. “There's a left turn toward Dooms a few miles ahead, after that, there'll be another left turn about two hundred miles at Elkton. We'll be able to get back on I-81.”

“Alright.” Paul sighed softly. It was going to take them at least another two days before they could reach Stauton like they'd planned. “Are there any big cities in that direction?”

“Um... Harrisonburg. I think all those walkers were coming from Stauton and Harrisonburg.”

“Yeah, but where are they going? What's drawing them in this direction? The only time I've ever seen them herd up like this is if they all hear or smell that same thing.” Paul put his hand on Daryl's thigh again, mostly to soothe himself. He hasn't seen such a big herd like that in a long time.

“Did something happen that we didn't notice?” Something must have happened somewhere while they were busy having sex. “Like an explosion or somethin?” Shit, he hoped the others were alright.

“I don't know. Let's just put as much distance between us and them as possible.” Paul turned onto the road Daryl had told him about, checking the side to make sure they were heading toward Dooms. He only relaxed once they were thirty minutes down the road and Daryl had fallen asleep. He hummed softly to himself checking every sign they passed to make sure he was still heading in the right direction. After a couple hours, they crested over a hill and Paul gasped, stomping on the breaks. He reached an arm out, stopping Daryl from flying forward. 

Daryl shot awake when the truck stopped suddenly. He blinked, looking around in confusion. “Paul, what-” The younger man didn't answer. He shoved the truck into reverse and stomped on the gas. The hunter gasped when he saw a second herd of walkers mere feet away from them, cresting over the hill. “Shit!” 

Paul swerved the truck around, hating the split second it took to put the truck back into drive. The truck lurched forward as five walkers climbed onto the bed. “Fuck!” He sped up, swerving just enough the knock all but one of the walkers off. 

A freshly turned walker climbed over their supplies and reached in through the back window which had been left open to keep the cab cool for Daryl. The decomposing hand latched onto Daryl's vest, yanking him back. The hunter yelped, blood running cold. Paul looked over, swearing again. Daryl grabbed one of the ninja's knives from his belt and sank it into the walkers head through the window. The walker went still with a groan and Daryl yanked the knife out and shoved the walker away from the window. He turned back around, panting and holding the knife tightly. Paul sped down the freeway, making better time since he was going nearly a hundred compared to the seventy he'd been going in the opposite direction. 

They made it back to Highway 250, nearly running into the first herd. The passenger's side headlight hit a walker, nearly stopping the truck. Another walker smacked into Daryl's window. The walker groaned, brown and red decomposed face pressing into the glass. The hunter yelled out Paul's name, flinching away from the window. Paul growled, not responding as he turned the truck away from the herd. The back tires got briefly stuck in the walker they'd hit, but the walker's body was so decomposed, the tires crushed it's bones and they sped away. 

They both panted for breath, Daryl's fingers gripping Paul's thigh tightly. They didn't relax again for several hours until they were back in Yancey Mills. The ninja stopped the truck once they were safely in an alleyway just inside the city. He got out, slamming the truck door and pacing back and forth in irritation. Daryl sat in the cab silently, tears threatening to spill. He got out after he'd calmed himself down and slowly came around the cab. Paul was leaning forward against the side of the truck, checking their supplies. 

“Nothing's been soiled, so we're still good.” He murmured. He turned around and leaned back against the truck. He looked at the hunter and held a hand out. “Come here, baby.” Daryl immediately moved forward, latching onto the younger man, burying his face in Paul's neck. “You're okay.” Paul whispered. “Did it get you?” He gently moved the hunter's vest and shirt down off his shoulder enough to check his skin. It was bruised a little from the walker's grip, but it hadn't scratched. “Baby...” He kissed the bruising skin gently. “Is the baby okay?” He gently rubbed the hunter's baby bump, sighing with relief when the felt kicking against his hand. 

“We're fine. Are you?” Daryl whispered, pressing their foreheads together. He could feel Paul's hands shaking and how fast his heart was beating. “Hey, we're okay.” He kissed the younger man softly. “You did good. You got us out of there.”

Paul took a shaky deep breath and nodded, but he couldn't stop the tears from falling. “Yeah, we're okay.” He sobbed softly, resting his face against Daryl's neck and breathing in his scent deeply. Daryl held him tighter, kissing and petting his hair. He'd never been so terrified of walkers until he found Daryl, until he found a family of his own. He let himself cry for a couple minutes, soothed by Daryl's warm embrace. They both took several minutes to calm themselves down from the terrifying experience. “Okay. I'm okay.” The younger man pulled away first, pressing a soft kiss to Daryl's cheek. “Thank you.”

Daryl nodded, pulling back as well. “What should we do?” He reached into the truck and grabbed the map off the dashboard where he'd placed it earlier. 

They spread the map out on the hood. Paul stared down at it. He knew what he wanted to do, what they should do, but he wasn't sure Daryl would like it. He bit his bottom lip. Those walkers were heading right toward them, toward whatever it is they heard or smelt. Daryl stood next to him, studying the map just as hard, trying to think of where they should go next. They couldn't stay here. They needed to put as much distance between them and the walkers. He felt how tense Paul was next to him and looked over at the younger man. 

“What is it?”

Paul shifted and looked up at his lover. “Tell me more about Alexandria.”

Daryl stood straight, glaring a bit. “Why?” 

The ninja sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. He really didn't want to fight with his new lover. Though, he knew it was inevitable. They were both stubborn and strong willed. “Daryl, don't you think we should at least warn them about the two herds coming? We don't have to stay but maybe one or two nights, long enough to come up with a plan and rest up, then we can leave.”

Daryl swallowed thickly, reaching up to rub his baby bump. It had become soothing to him to feel the baby move. It would be nice to get another ultrasound done to get a more recent picture and see how big his baby was growing. What would Rick say when he saw him, though? Would they even be welcome into the community after he just up and left? They did need somewhere safer than some boarded house to regroup and rest so they could both relax and not worry about being on constant guard. 

“Daryl?”

The hunter sighed and hugged himself, bringing a thumb up to his lips to gnaw on the nail. “It's a gated community about two hours from Richmond. When I left, they were plotting farms and building a barn to house cows 'n chickens. There was about... fifty or so residents, not including the people I was with when we first found it. A few days before I left, some walkers got in and the founders of the community died. Rick 'n Michonne took over as the leaders.”

“Rick... is he the one that got you pregnant?” He'd heard Daryl whimper the man's name in his sleep. He didn't really know what happened between them, but whatever it was it had hurt the hunter deeply enough to force him to leave the safety of the group and the community.

Daryl nodded, looking down at his baby bump. “I don't... I don't want him to find out, cause I know what he's going to do. He's going to want to do right by me 'n try to say he'll be with me so the baby would have both parents.”

“Is that why you left?” He stepped closer, reaching to take the older man's hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over the back of his hands gently. “You didn't want to force him to be with you?”

Daryl nodded. “He slept with Michonne the night he told me he saw me as only a brother, nothing more nothing less.” Now that he was a few weeks into his second trimester, he was showing enough that anyone who knew him looked at him could tell he was pregnant. 

“Hey, I won't let him do nothing to you.” Paul whispered, leaning up to kiss Daryl gently. “You and the baby are my family now. I'm going to raise this baby with you as if it is my own.” They kissed again, both groaning softly as they parted. “Are you okay with this?” He whispered, wanting to make double sure that Daryl was alright with going back to Alexandria.

The hunter took a moment to think about it, but ultimately nodded. “Yeah. I'm okay with it.” It would be nice to see everyone and he felt that it was the right thing to do to tell them about the two herds heading in their direction. “Can we just... be alone a little while longer?” He whispered, pressing closer to the younger man. 

Paul grinned a bit, hands sliding up the back of Daryl's shirt. “Didn't get enough this morning, did you?”

Daryl nipped Paul's ear, moaning softly to entice the younger man. “Ain't never gonna get enough of you. 'm horny as fuck thanks to this damn pregnancy.” He grinded his hips against Paul's with a soft whine. “Please, Paul, after what just happened I need to feel you.”

The younger man cooed softly, gently turning them around so Daryl was leaning against the truck instead. “We can't spend too long out here, but I'll get you off at least once.” He kissed down the hunter's neck, nimble fingers unbuttoning his belt and unbuttoning his jeans. Daryl groaned, fingers gripping tight in his lover's hair as he felt a hand shoving down the front of his pants. 

“Uh... Daryl..?”

Both men froze at the soft, confused voice cutting through the quiet evening air. Daryl knew that voice anywhere. He swallowed thickly and looked over toward the two women staring at them from several feet away. Tara and Rosita were watching them with grins and slightly flushed cheeks. Paul removed his hand quickly, fixing up his boyfriend's pants. He cleared his throat, turning to the two women and smiling in amused embarrassment. Daryl was still shell shocked, standing completely still with his eyes wide and cheeks red.

“I see you've been just fine, Dixon.” Rosita teased, arms crossed over her chest and head tilted. 

“And here we've been worried sick about you.” Tara grinned, voice light and teasing as well with her hands on her hips. 

Paul continued to smile at them. The girls didn't seem dangerous, so he held his hand out to them to introduce himself. “Hi, I'm Paul.”

Daryl groaned, still horny as shit. He never thought he would've been cock blocked by the two women, especially not on the edge of a city nearly three hours away from Alexandria. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. So, they had been looking for him. Did Rick feel bad about what happened or did he just want his main bread winner back? The girls chuckled at him, stepping closer to introduce themselves to Paul. Daryl glared at them from between his fingers. He supposed this was somewhat of a good thing. At least he could find out how everyone was doing and tell them a herd was on the way. Maybe he wouldn't have to face Rick after all.


	6. Ch. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Daryl run into trouble.

“So, where have you been the last few months?” Tara asked quietly as she, Daryl and Rosita followed slowly behind Paul. 

The younger man wanted to give them a little privacy to talk and let Daryl decide just what to tell them, so he keep an ear out for walkers and an eye out for somewhere safe for them to stop and rest. They'd kept the truck hidden in an alley to protect their supplies since Daryl wasn't quite ready to head to Alexandria and face Rick and Michonne. So, instead they decided to scavenge for more supplies and maybe stop somewhere to eat. 

The hunter bit his bottom lip and shrugged as he stared at Paul's slender but powerful back. He still wanted to ride the man's cock. Even through his duster jacket, Daryl could see the claw marks from their love making the previous night. “I dunno. Jus been traveling around. I never really stayed in one place for two long, didn't want to risk running into walkers or other survivors.”

Rosita nodded in understanding, keeping an ear and eye out as well. “I don't blame you for leaving.” She murmured. They were all still quite furious at Rick for driving a member of their family away. Even though she hadn't known Daryl long they'd been through a lot together, and that made him her family.

“I understand why you left, but... why didn't you tell anyone?” Tara was hurt that Daryl hadn't told her goodbye when he came to see Denise that night. He could've at least mentioned he was going to leave or even hugged her. 

“If I'd told someone I was leavin, they would've asked me to stay and I wouldn't have been able ta say no. Ya'll are my family; but, I couldn't stay. I couldn't stay 'n make Rick think he had ta be with me jus cause a baby was involved. He's happier with Michonne.” The hunter felt bad he hadn't said good bye to Tara and that he'd lied to Rosita. At least the Latina didn't seem mad at him about it. If anything, she seemed pissed at Rick. He felt somewhat happy about that.

Tara seemed to understand this. “I get it.” She probably would've done the same thing if she was being honest with herself. She made a face at the mention of Rick and Michonne being an item, but Daryl didn't want to know. She smiled and nudged him playfully, reading his expression. “So... you and Paul, huh? That his baby you're carrying?” That was a safer topic than Rick and Michonne.

Daryl blushed deeply, grateful that she hadn't brought up the other two. “Yeah. We... we're in love, but no. This ain't his baby, not biologically at least.” He glanced over at her, a bit surprised that she hadn't even asked how he got pregnant in the first place. He figured, however, that since she was a lesbian she must've understood that he'd been transitioning before the world ended. “... It's Rick's.” He murmured.

Rosita and Tara both looked at him. The Latina seemed to grow even more furious at this new information. She started muttering under her breath in her native language, probably something along the lines of she was going to kill the rat bastard if Daryl had to guess. Tara merely shook her head and whispered an apology. The hunter shook his head. She had no reason to apologize. It wasn't her fault Rick was indeed a rat bastard. He brought her in for a side hug and kissed her temple whispering that it was alright and he was fine, he had Paul now.

Paul stopped ahead of them and turned to wait for them to catch up. He smiled at Daryl, reaching to pet his cheek once the hunter stopped next to him. “There's a convenience store across the street, I thought we could check it out and maybe stay there a couple hours to eat and rest.” 

The older man and the two women nodded in agreement. They crossed the street and entered the store cautiously. It was fortunately empty, so the barricaded the door and found an office in the back where they all sat in a circle. Paul pulled out a few bags of jerky and several water bottles. Tara and Rosita both had some homemade preserved fruit and biscuits. They all divided out the food, trying to give Daryl more. He rejected it at first, but the pleading look from Paul had him agreeing after a moment. They ate and made small talk. Paul told them about how he and Daryl met and the romantic night dancing. He had Daryl's cheeks bright red by the end of his story. Tara and Rosita giggled and gibed at him playfully.

When they were done eating and well rested, Paul stood up. “Daryl... are you ready?” He held a hand out to the hunter, smiling comfortingly. The hunter stared up at him, seeming to hesitate, then nodded and took the younger man's and stood up with his help.

“Yeah. 'm ready.” He wasn't going to get any more ready than he was. He may as well get it done and over with he figured. Paul leaned in and kissed him softly, Tara and Rosita watching with warm smiles. 

“Remember, I won't let him do anything to you, or our baby.” Paul whispered. When the hunter nodded he pulled away and led them all back out to the front of the store. They moved the barricade and Paul peeked out. There was a few walkers out, but not too many. He could handle them alone. “Alright. You guys stay here, I'll go get the truck.”

Daryl frowned. He didn't like that plan, not one bit. He and Paul had been handling walkers together for months. “Nah. You ain't goin out there by yerself.” The younger man looked at me, mouth opening to argue. “Paul, we got Tara 'n Rosita here with us. They're both strong fighters. You ain't protectin me by yerself right now. 'sides, I can still fight against walkers.” He knew Paul was still reeling from the herds they'd run into even as he tried to hide it. He was, too. His shoulder ached where the walker had grabbed him through the back window.

Paul hesitated for a moment and looked at Tara and Rosita. They nodded at him in reassurance. They wouldn't let anything happen to Daryl, or any of them. They both wanted to get home safely to see the rest of their family. So, he nodded in agreement. “Alright. On the count of three.” He got out one of his knives and put his hand on the door. The other three did the same, lifting their weapons and getting ready. “One, two, three.” He shoved the door open and surged out, killing the first walker he saw. 

Tara came out next, embedding her own knife into the next walker's head. Daryl was next, followed by Rosita. The walkers didn't stand a chance against the four of them. Paul stabbed the last walker and looked around to make sure there weren't anymore. He nodded and looked at Daryl, checking over him with his eyes. He didn't see any injuries, only a bit of walker blood. He relaxed and started walking up to them. A shot suddenly rang out and Paul felt a burning pain in his shoulder. He groaned, stumbling back from the force of the bullet. He looked down at his left shoulder, seeing a hole in his leather duster and dark blood slowly sliding down from the hole. 

“PAUL!” Daryl dropped his bow and ran forward, catching the ninja before he could fall to his knees. 

Tara and Rosita pulled out their guns, running forward as well and scanning for the assailant. Another shot rang out, missing Rosita's foot by inches. “Take cover!” The Latina yelled. 

Tara ran forward. “Daryl, come on!” She helped him get Paul up and they ran for a store. Rosita yanked the door open, waiting for them to hurry in before shutting it behind her. “Duck down behind the counter.” They all ducked down and she started yanking at Paul's duster to get it off with Daryl's help. 

Paul groaned in pain. “How bad is it?”

Daryl checked the back. “S'a through 'n through.” He forced down his emotions. He couldn't afford to lost it right now. “Paul, tell me what to do.”

The nurse turned ninja swallowed thickly. He yanked his beanie off with one hand. “Pull my hair back... need to clean the wound and I don't want blood in my hair.” He found a hair tie in one of his pockets and gave it to Tara. She promptly pulled his hair back into a bun. “There's a suture kit in the truck.”

Rosita glanced at them from where she was keeping an eye out. “Someone needs to go get it.” 

Tara grabbed a water bottle from Paul's bag. “Gonna need to take your shirt off.” She waited until he nodded and carefully unbuttoned his shirt, taking off only the side that was bloody from the gunshot. 

Daryl stood up suddenly. “I'll go.”

Paul looked up at him, eyes alarmed. “Baby, no... we don't know who's out there.” He winced when Tara carefully started pouring water down his shoulders to cleanse the wound. “Daryl-”

“I know where the kit is, Paul. It'll be faster for me to go, get the kit 'n come back. 'sides, Tara's helped Denise take care of patients, she'll know what to do better than me.” The words were brave, but he was terrified. He hasn't faced any other survivors since he met Paul. He knew they were all going to play nice. Hell, some may just straight up kill him. He had to face his fears, however, because the father of his baby needed him to. He knelt back down and kissed Paul sweetly, pressing their foreheads together. “Don't you die on me.”

Paul whimpered. “Right back at you. You bring that baby back to me.” 

Daryl smiled. “This baby ain't goin anywhere for at least another five months.” He stood back up, loading up his crossbow. “Tara-”

“I know. I got him.” She smiled up at him, using a clean rag to put pressure on the wound. “Hurry back, Dixon.”

“Go out through the back. “ Rosita whispered. “I've seen a couple shadows on the roof of the buildings across the street.”

Daryl took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright.” He looked back down at Paul. “... I love you.” The younger man smiled, whispering the words back as Daryl turned and hurried through the clothing store to the back door. 

He pushed the heavy door open carefully, poking his head out to scan the alleyway thoroughly. He listened intently and heard nothing, so he stepped out. He kept his bow up, hugging the wall. He came to a dumpster and knelt down quickly when he heard voices. Two male voices stopped just on the other side of the dumpster. He listened to their words, cataloging every piece of information. Five of them were within the city, another ten or twelve at a camp outside the city. He heard them mention Alexandria and felt his chest tighten. They'd seen where the four of them had run into and were planning to smoke them out and take Tara and Rosita back to their base camp. 

Daryl tightened his grip on his bow. Like hell he was going to let that happen. He slid a boot forward, crawling out from behind the dumpster like he'd seen Paul do multiple times. The two men had stopped at the mouth of the alley, so Daryl brought his bow up and fired, getting one in the head. The man's body fell to his knees and then face first. The other man whirled around, but Daryl already had his gun out of the back of his jeans and aimed at the man. “Where are the others?” The man didn't answer him. The second Daryl saw the man's finger go for the trigger, he fired. The shot rang out, sending birds scattering as the man's body fell back. 

 

Paul groaned, face pale and sweaty from blood loss. He tensed when he heard the gun shot. “Daryl...” He tried to get up, but Tara gently pushed him back down. “I need to-”

“Daryl's fine, Paul. He's a hunter, he knows how to sneak and his wicked with that bow and every other weapon I've ever seen him use.” Tara smiled at Paul, trying to soothe and reassure him. “Just wait... he'll be back before you know it.” She continued to clean the wound once she was sure the man wouldn't try to get up again. 

Rosita glanced over at them. She bit her bottom lip, really hoping Tara was right. When she looked back at the front doors, Daryl's form appeared. He opened the door and slid the suture kit inside and disappeared again. She hissed his name and jumped over the counter to grab the kit. She peeked her head out, hissing his name again. “Where're you goin?” She asked when the hunter stopped to look at her. 

“To take care'a these fuckers. Get back inside and protect the others.” He turned, disappearing down another alley. 

She hissed his name a third time, but he didn't respond, so she went back into the building. She ducked behind the counter just as a shot fired. The bullet bounced off the stainless counter and into a rack of clothes. “I've got the kit.”

Paul looked at her. “Where's Daryl?”

Tara ignored him as she took the kit and yanked it open. She pulled out the needled and used the small bottle of hydrogen peroxide to sterilize it along with the suture thread. Rosita merely shook her head. “He said something about killing a bunch of people. He must've heard something while he was out there.” She helped Tara hold Paul down as the other women started sewing the bullet wound closed, pouring a bit of water over the skin to keep it clean. While they were sewing up the back of the wound, the front doors busted open and two men with guns walked in. Rosita spotted them from the mirror against the wall above them. She put a finger to tell Paul and Tara to remain quiet and stay low. 

“Come out, bitches! The time to play is over!” 

Paul glared in the general direction of the man's voice. If the asshole did anything to Daryl, he was going to kill him. For now, he remained quiet. He couldn't let them get caught. Tara finished sewing him up and used the gauze and medical tape from the kit to cover the wounds. She pulled her gun out from the back of her jeans and looked at Rosita. They nodded to each other, agreeing to stay hidden until they absolutely had to come out. Tara had promised Daryl she would take care of Paul and she intended to carry out that promise.

“I'm tired of these games of waiting and chase! Get out here before I blow this place up!” As the man continue to yell, Tara leaned closer to Paul. The two men started walking around the store, kicking boxes and racks around for the mere effect of making loud noises. As if loud sounds were going to scare them. Rosita rolled her eyes and Tara snorted silently. “Well, I guess I'm just going to have to kill these pregnant bitch you sent after my men.”

Paul's eyes widened. They'd caught Daryl! He closed his eyes to calm himself down enough to think straight. He nudged Rosita with his foot to get her attention, then motioned his head backwards, asking her to look in the mirror above them. She seemed to catch his thought process and looked up at the mirror. She didn't see Daryl, so she shook her head. That helped the ninja relax a bit, but they were still in danger and Daryl may be outside with more of them. He could at least handle what was happening inside without Daryl getting caught in the crossfire.

He glanced around their little surroundings behind the counter, trying to see what they could use without using up too much energy. They were in a clothing store, so not a lot they could use in way of weapons. He spotted the empty water bottle, there was still some hydrogen peroxide left. He nudged Tara and pointed at his bag. She dragged it closer and he reached inside, grabbing a bottle of salt Daryl used to make jerky. He pointed at the empty bottle and Rosita grabbed it. He poured half of what was left of the hydrogen peroxide into the bottle, then a bit of salt. Tara and Rosita watched in shock in the hydrogen peroxide separated with the salt water.

Rosita knew exactly what he was doing. She grabbed a thin cloth from a bin under the counter and tore a strip out. Tara found an empty glass beer bottle and helped Paul carefully pour the distilled hydrogen peroxide into it. The Latina woman stuffed the torn cloth into the bottle until it was absorbing the hydrogen peroxide. She would have to move quickly as Tara lit the other end of the cloth. The cloth caught fire and Rosita counted three seconds and then shot up. She tossed the bottle at the two men's feet. It shattered and made a tiny explosion. Their pants caught on fire, the smaller man screaming and dropping down. Tara shot up next, firing off her gun to put him down. 

Daryl pulled up in the truck and got it, catching the tail end of the explosion. He saw Tara kill the man on the ground, but the other man had his gun ready, so the hunter fired off an arrow. Rosita stumbled back as the man lifted his gun to kill them, but a green and yellow arrow embedded in his head. Paul lifted himself up carefully, holding his hand against his chest. He grinned when he saw Daryl safe and sound. The hunter walked into the building, staring at the burning bodies. “What'd ya'll go? Make a homemade bomb?”

Tara smiled, putting the safety on her gun and stuffing it in the back of her pants. “Was Paul's idea. I gotta admit, he's good at silent communication. All he had to do was nudge us and point at something and we knew exactly what he wanted.”

Rosita moved closer to Paul, putting his uninjured arm around her shoulder. “He's a good man, Dixon. Make sure you keep him.” She helped him walk closer to the hunter, handing him over so they could hug.

Daryl held Paul close, nuzzling his hair. “I intend to.” The younger man sighed softly, relaxing completely now that he was in Daryl's arms. “As much as I'd love ta stand here 'n hold ya, Paul. We gotta get going. Those herds we ran into are almost to the city. I saw them while I was on the roof takin out another of these assholes. I got the truck outside, so lets go.” He helped Paul outside and into the cab of the truck, settling him in the middle. “Rosita, wanna ride in the bed so you can take out any walkers that get close? There's a semi automatic under the blanket.”

Rosita readily agreed, hopping into the back and lifted the blanket. She loaded the gun up and nodded to Daryl that she was ready. The hunter nodded back and went around to the driver's side. Tara got in next to Paul, giving him some water to drink. Daryl got in and put the truck in drive just as walkers started appearing from around buildings and out of alleyways. He sped away, checking the rear-view mirror to make sure Rosita was holding on safely. She took out a couple walkers that got too close for comfort, but they were too slow to keep up with the truck. She relaxed once they were far enough away, but kept her eyes and ears open. 

Paul sighed, resting his head on Daryl's shoulder. He was in terrible pain and nauseous from the blood loss, but his lover and baby were safe. Daryl reached a free hand down to rub the younger man's thigh gently. They had no choice but to go to Alexandria now. He wanted Denise to look at Paul and get some antibiotics in him. The herd had caught up faster than they'd originally thought, so they were going to have to tell Rick so they could prepare for it. Daryl was not looking forward to that.


	7. Ch. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Rick meet and Paul does not like him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Rick calls Daryl some fairly bad names. Also trigger warning for use of Daryl's dead name.

The drive to Alexandria was silent and tense. Paul's color was steadily starting to come back, but he was in so much pain. His shoulder burned and pulsed angrily. He was so tired, but he couldn't sleep. Tara had given him a couple Tylonel, but they only took the edge off enough that he could barely withstand it. Daryl's warm presence in his side soothed him. They were safe at least. He could be thankful about that. He sun was beginning to go down, taking with it the heat and leaving behind a chill in the air. He trembled, cuddling up tighter into the older man's side. The hunter wrapped an arm around him gently, tugging him into his side. Daryl worried briefly about Rosita, but they were only ten minutes out from Alexandria, so she would be fine. 

As they approached the gate, it was dark out but two lanterns were lit on the guard tower. Even with the dim lighting, Daryl couldn't see who was on watch that night. The man called to them to 'halt' and he saw Rosita stand in the bed of the truck. “It's us, Spencer! Let us in!” Spencer whistled down to whoever was on gate duty, and, after a moment, the gate opened. Rosita sat back down and Daryl pulled the truck through. 

He parked in front of Denise's house and sat for a moment, staring across the street at the two story blue house he'd been living in. He hoped they hadn't given it to anyone, yet, that way he and Paul could stay in it. The truck swayed a tiny bit as Rosita hopped out, pulling Daryl out of his reverie. Tara got out as well and came around to the driver's side as the hunter pushed his own door open. Denise stepped outside and stood on her porch. She watched them gently pull Paul out of the truck and walk him up to the porch. She smiled at Daryl. 

“Welcome back, Dixon.”

Daryl smiled back at her somewhat shyly. “Hey.” He helped Paul up the steps. “Tara's already patched him up, but I was wonderin if you'd still take a look at him, maybe give him some antibiotics.” He led Paul inside as she opened the door to welcome them in and sat him down on one of the cots. 

“Of course.” She washed her hands and pulled on some gloves. “So, how have you been? I see you're still-” she trailed off, glancing at Rosita and Tara. She didn't know if they knew and she definitely didn't want to reveal Daryl's secret if they didn't.

“It's fine, Denise. They know.” Daryl sat down next to Paul, gently helping him remove his shirt so Denise could look at the gun shot wound. “'n yeah, 'm still pregnant. 'm almost sixteen weeks now. I's actual also hopin you would do another ultrasound so I could get a look at the baby.”

The doctor gently poked and prodded at Paul's wound, softly compliment Tara for her well done sutures. “I guess you were paying attention to me when I was showing you how to do some.” Tara blushed and grinned proudly making Rosita roll her eyes while smiling affectionately. “Well, all this looks good. I got some heavy dosage pain medicine and enough antibiotics for a week's course.” She went over to a shelf and pulled down a couple of bottles. “Tara, wanna grab him some water?”

“Yes, Ma'am!” The woman left the room, whistling to herself, and soon returned with a cold bottle of water. Paul gratefully took the pills with the cool water and rested his head on Daryl's shoulder. “Alright, let me fire up the ultrasound machine and we'll take a look at that baby. Do you want Rosita and Tara to stay?”

Daryl looked at them and took a second to think about it, then nodded. “Yeah. They can stay.” He smiled at their excited expressions and motioned for them to come closer. He bit his bottom lip nervously for a moment. “Could we... keep it between us that the baby is Rick's?” The girls all smiled and nodded and he sighed in relief.

Paul moved away so Daryl could lay down and gently lifted the older man's shirt. He leaned down to kiss and nuzzle the baby bump, smiling as the baby kicked and moved against his lips. He sighed softly, hands petting along the taught skin. He may not have gotten Daryl pregnant, but the baby was his by all rights. Denise watched them with a smile. The ninja sat up when she had the machine fired up and running. He held Daryl's hand as Denise spread some gel on his lover's stomach and put the wand against his skin. 

“Alright, let's find this baby.” After a moment, a fast heart beat could be heard and she moved the wand over to the right side. “There it is.” She turned the monitor so they could see it. “It's still small, about the size of an apple, and doesn't have a gender, yet.”

“That won't be til closer to 20 weeks.” Paul whispered.

Denise nodded. While Daryl had been gone she'd read up on pregnancies and delivery, not only to help him in case he came back, but to help Dr. Carson at the Hilltop with Maggie's thirteen week pregnancy. She printed out a couple pictures for them and let them listen to the baby's heart beat for a couple minutes. When they were done, she removed the wand from the hunter's belly and gave him a rag to wipe the gel off. Daryl sat back up, lowering his shirt down and leaning against Paul to stare at the sonogram. Tara and Rosita congratulated them softly. 

“Do you guys know if Rick's moved anyone into my old house?” Daryl asked softly when he thanked them. 

The two girls looked at one another, then Rosita shook her head. “Not that we've seen. When do you want to talk to him?”

Daryl stood up, pocketing the sonogram. “Never, if I can get away with it.” He felt Paul stand up next to him and place a hand on his lower back. He immediately knew what the younger man was thinking. They needed to talk to Rick and tell him about the herds they saw. The herds could be there any day now. “... We should talk to him right now.” They could try to get away with telling only Tara and Rosita, but then Rick would hunt them down and ask them questions about what exactly they saw. 

The girls nodded and Rosita moved toward the door. “I'll take you to him.” She knew Tara wanted to spend time with Denise. They'd been gone for three days searching for Daryl. Tara gave her a grateful smile and stepped closer to Denise while Daryl and Paul followed the Latina out of the house. 

“I'm going to warn you now, Dixon, ever since you left he has been... off.” 

Daryl raised an eyebrow at her. “Off?” He grew nervous instantly. The last time Rick had been off they started having sex and he wound up pregnant. He started rubbing his belly, biting his lower lip. “What d'you mean?”

“Well, the minute Michonne found out he'd been sleeping with you and then turned around and left you, she left him. In her eyes, he'd led you on like some asshole and she didn't want any part of that.” Rosita smiled at him. “We all support you. Whatever you need, we'll get it for you. You know, Maggie's pregnant, too.” 

Daryl smiled back, feeling his chest fill with warmth for the woman. If he'd known his family would stand with him, he never would've left. He was glad he did, however. He never would've met Paul otherwise. He squeezed Paul's hand, relaxing when the younger man squeezed back. “She is?” He hadn't known Maggie was pregnant. They could go through this together. 

“Yeah. Thirteen weeks today I think.” Rosita stopped in front of Rick's house. “She and Gleen are at a community we found a couple weeks ago. The Hilltop. They've got a doctor through who specialized in obstetrics before the turn. I'm heading there in a couple days to trade some more. You should come with me. She and Glenn have missed you a lot. They were furious when Rick told them you'd left.” She looked at Paul, noticing the worried look on his face. “Hey, don't worry. While we're around Rick isn't going to lay a hand on Daryl.”

Paul merely nodded, though that wasn't the reason he was worried. He knew about Hilltop. He'd stayed there for a while half a year ago. He wondered if Alex was still there. He squeezed Daryl's hand again, needing the comfort this time. The hunter looked down at him, brows furrowed in worry. He smiled back, silently telling him not to worry. They walked up the sidewalk and Rosita knocked on the door. After a couple minutes, Carl answered. 

“Hey, Rosita. What's up-” The one eyed teen stared over Rosita's shoulder where Daryl stood. “Daryl!” He pushed past the Latina and wrapped his arms around Daryl's waist tightly. “Holy shit, man, where have you been?! Dad's been going nuts looking for you!” He pulled back, feeling the extra bit of belly that hadn't been there before. “Did you put on weight?”

“Uh... yeah, a bit.” The hunter's cheeks flushed. He was happy to see Carl, but the comment made him a little self conscious.

Rosita smacked the back of Carl's head. “He's pregnant, chico!” Carl winced, but smiled up at Daryl, congratulating him to make up for what he said. “We need to see Rick. Is he here?”

Carl nodded. “Yeah, he's out back.” He walked back inside, holding the door open for them. “Who's he?” He put up a hand to stop Paul from entering, eyeing him suspiciously. 

Daryl blushed even more. “He's... Paul, my boyfriend. He's safe, Carl. He's kept me safe for the last couple of months.” The teen nodded after a moment, lowering his hand from Paul's chest. 

“I'll go get Dad for you. There's some left over casserole in the fridge if you guys are hungry.” He led them into the kitchen and then stepped out the back door. 

Rosita grabbed a couple bottles of water, handing them over. Daryl thanked her and twisted it open, taking a slow sip. Paul still had his other one, so he shook his head. The Latina kept the water for herself, taking a long drink from it as Rick walked in. The ex deputy's eyes immediately zeroed in on Daryl. The tension in the room was thick, making the hunter's hair stand on end. The stress upset the baby, making it roll around and kick out as if saying 'mama, calm the fuck down.' Daryl grunted softly, leaning closer to Paul. 

“Daryl...” Rick murmured Daryl's name, face pale as if he'd seen a ghost. “Daryl!” He moved forward, arms coming up to hug the hunter, but as soon as he took a step toward him Daryl took a step back. 

Paul took Daryl's fear to heart and stepped between him and Rick. “Step back.” He held a hand up, trying to placate the deputy while also warning him to stay back. “You can talk to him from this far away just fine.” He met Rick's suspicious glare with his own, neither of them backing down or giving in. “If you have something to tell him, you can tell him while we're all here.” He didn't trust the man not to try anything if he and Daryl were alone.

Rick wanted to punch the man for separating him and Daryl. “Move.”

“No.” Paul's response was immediate. He could see how the ex-deputy tensed up and he tensed up as well, ready to fight and defend himself if he needed to. “Back. Off.”

Rick finally took a step back. He would have to wait until he could catch Daryl alone. “Who are you?”

Paul relaxed once Rick was several steps away. “Paul Rovia, but my friends used to call me Jesus. I'm Daryl's lover.” The ex-deputy tensed and Paul couldn't help but feel somewhat satisfied at the split second of distraught on the man's face before it was gone. “We met a couple months ago and have been traveling together since.”

The leader of Alexandria looked over Paul's shoulder at the hunter. “Daryl..?”

“What? Ya think I woulda come back willingly after what ya did ta me? We're only hear cause we need ta tell ya about the two herds we ran into about five hours ago. They were headed in this direction.” Daryl moved to stand next to Paul, reaching down to take his hand. “'n yeah... he's my lover. He's been protectin me.”

Rick's eyes drifted down to Daryl's belly and his breath caught in his throat. There was no way the baby was this Jesus'. Daryl looked way too far along to only be eight weeks. “You're pregnant..?”

“The baby is not your concern.” Paul's voice went cold. “We're going to help you with the herd and come up with a plan. We're leaving as soon as Daryl's ready.” He held the hunter's hand tightly, giving and drawing comfort from him. 

The ex-deputy ignored him, stepping forward again. “How far along? D'you know the gender?”

Daryl glared at him, though he didn't back down this time. He met Rick's gaze, heart racing in somewhat fear and insecurity. “Ya heard Paul. The baby isn't yer concern.” He picked up his bottle of water and took a sip. “We ran into a herd just outside Waynesboro. We were headin for Stauton when we came upon the herd.”

“There had to have been over a hundred, maybe more.” Paul crossed his arms over his chest, then winced when his right shoulder protested the movement. He lowered his right arm and instead put his hands in his pockets. “We tried to take a different route toward Dooms, but there was a second herd. We nearly got trapped between the two herds. Thankfully, we made it out alright.” He reached a hand up, lightly petting the bruise on Daryl's shoulder where the walker had grabbed him.

Rick looked between the two, only half paying attention to what they were saying about the herd. “... So you leave without tellin me you're pregnant and immediately spread your legs for some prick who doesn't even know you?”

Daryl reeled back a bit, eyes widening at the implication that Rick was making. “I ain't a fuckin whore if that's what yer sayin!” He yelled. “The baby ain't yours!” Not an exact lie, but it was better than the complete truth.

“Well, it sure seems like it, Daryl! Or should I start calling you Darla?” Rick tilted his head some, eyes drifting down to Daryl's pregnant belly, then down lower to his crotch with a smirk. He knew exactly what was between Daryl's legs. “You look too far along for that baby to be anyone else's!” 

The name shattered Daryl's heart, especially since it came from Rick, someone he'd trusted with his past, his heart and body. He'd told Rick about his decision to transition into a man and what his childhood and teen years as a woman had been like. He'd trust Rick with a lot, and the man had used it against him. The hunter shook, tears spilling down his cheeks. Had it not been for the pregnancy, he would've bashed Rick's face in, but the pregnancy hormones just wanted him to cry. His chest got tight and it became hard to swallow. 

“How fucking dare you?” Paul growled, hands clenching into fists. “I don't care who you are and I don't care who you used to be, but you do not talk to him like that!” He got up in Rick's face, eyes cold and body tensed to fight. “What you did to him was low and unforgivable. If he wants to forgive that is his choice, but I will not let you insult him or near him and OUR baby without his consent. If you come near him, I will not hesitate to break your legs.” The younger man gave Rick a chance to do something. When the ex-deputy remained still and silent, he turned away and grabbed Daryl's hand. “We'll talk more about the herd tomorrow.”

Rosita gave Rick a death glare and followed them out. “Daryl-” She hurried down the steps to try to catch up with them, but they were moving too fast.

“We're going home.” Paul growled. He knew she didn't do anything and probably wanted to make sure the hunter was okay, but he just wanted to get Daryl alone so he could soothe him himself. The Latina stopped following them as they turned down the sidewalk to the house they would be staying in. Paul opened the door, letting Daryl go in first, then followed him in. He shut and locked the door and closed his eyes to calm himself down. He counted back from ten slowly and when he felt calm enough, he turned to check on Daryl. “Daryl?” The hunter wasn't behind him like he'd been a few seconds ago.

It was very dark in the house, so Paul grabbed a small flashlight from the side pocket of his cargo pants. He turned it on and checked the den first. It had a fireplace and the ninja immediately wanted to light a fire in it for a romantic evening with the hunter. He turned away and checked the kitchen and dining room. The place was spotless and devoid of any grumpy older men. He frowned and went back into the foyer where the stairs were and traveled up them. They creaked, but Daryl was a very sneaky and quiet person when he needed to be. He'd snuck up on Paul more than once, or vanished from his side without a trace. 

He made it to the top and checked the first door he came across. It was an office, so he continued down the hall and checked the second door to find a bathroom. Still no hunter, so he shut the door and opened the third door. Daryl was laying in bed, curling up with a stuffed animal he must've gotten from another room in the house. Paul shut his flashlight off and walked up to the bed. He kicked off his boots and carefully laid down behind him. The hunter was sobbing softly, curled around his baby bump protectively. Paul cooed him gently and wrapped an arm around his middle. The hunter flinched, but Paul just shushed him lovingly. 

“It's me, baby.” He nuzzled his nose behind the older man's ear, kissing the kiss softly. “Let it out, love. He did you wrong and hurt you. You're allowed to cry and be pissed. Don't ever think you can't feel emotions.” He pet his hand along the hunter's side and belly. He felt the older man sob harder, shoulders shaking and body tense. “Shh, that's it, baby. Let it out.” His heart ached for his lover. He wanted to go back and beat the shit out of Rick for hurting him, but Daryl needed him right now. So, he held the hunter, cooing and petting him soothingly. It took a couple hours, but Daryl finally calmed down enough to breathe properly and speak. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

The hunter was silent for a couple minutes, but he sniffled and took a deep breath. “Darla was my name before. I changed it when I decided to get my breasts removed. I'd lived my childhood and most of my teen years a woman, had sex with for the first time when I was sixteen and wound up pregnant.”

“... So... this isn't your first?”

“I got an abortion at eight weeks, so... technically not, but it is my first full pregnancy.” Daryl breathed out shakily. “The father was a lot like Rick. He was handsome, had the whole blue eyes and curly hair thing goin for 'im. He was a senior on the foot ball team. I thought he liked me, used ta say I wasn't like all the other girls, that I was smart and didn't take none'a his shit like his ex girlfriend did. Didn't know that she was still his girlfriend at the time, she just wasn't givin him sex cause he'd been an ashole to her.” Paul listened silently, hand still petting the hunter's belly. “He picked me up late one night and took me outta town to the lake. We skinny dipped and he chased me through the woods. I thought it was magical at the time, even though he did fuck me against a tree like I's some whore.” 

“You're not a whore, Daryl.” Paul whispered, kissing the back of his neck. “You're beautiful and strong.”

“Nah, I know. I ain't no whore. I... that's just how people saw me cause I's a Dixon girl, born 'n raised on he poor side of town with a dead mom, a druggie brother 'n an abusive, alcoholic good fer nothin father. I wore the booty shorts, tight tank tops with the tied flannel shirt, smoked under the bleachers and drank too much at parties. I dunno, maybe I acted like a whore.” Daryl sighed and rolled onto his back, letting the stuffed bear in favor of latching onto Paul's chest. He relaxed under Paul's fingers in his hair and the sound of his strong heart beat. “Rick had no right bringing that name up. I told him all this because I thought he cared.”

“You trusted him and he broke it. You have the right to be mad and hurt.” Paul nuzzled his hair, breathing in his scent. “I'm sorry he hurt you.” He pet his fingers up and down the hunter's chest, feeling his muscles under the shirt.

Daryl shook his head. “Ain't your fault. You don't gotta apologize for his ass.” He tilted his head up to look at the younger man. “Thank you.” He smiled, pressing a light kiss to Paul's chin. He wanted to giggle at the feeling of the younger man's beard hairs tickling his lips.

Paul smiled and kissed his forehead. “Don't gotta thank me, baby. I'll do anything for you. You want me to beat Rick up, I'll beat Rick up.” He pet his hand along the older man's cheek and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. “I love you, Daryl.”

The hunter chuckled. “Much as I would love ta see that, it ain't necessary unless he makes the first move.” He closed his eyes tiredly, both physically and emotionally exhausted. “I love you, Paul.”


	8. Ch. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the long wait, guys. I had a death in the family. My grandfather, who was 79 years old, passed away last Sunday morning. We'd been prepared for it since August 3rd, but it was still hard. 
> 
> Anyways, here's the next chapter. I don't quite like how week and... feminin-ish I wrote Daryl, so you may notice a slight change in his characterization, I just hope it doesn't take away from the story.

A few hours later, they woke to yelling. Paul shot up, looking around the dark room wildly and in paranoia. He felt Daryl shoot up off the bed, pulling his boots scooping his crossbow up off the floor. The ninja quickly did the same. He shoved his feet into his boots and pulled his hair back out of his face. He followed the hunter down the stairs, grabbing his knives from the dining room table. They ran out of the house. Aaron was running out of his own house, a rifle in hand. 

“Aaron! What's goin on?” Daryl yelled as he hurried down the steps and out into the street.

“I don't know!”

They met in the street and all three of them ran toward the gate where everyone seemed to be gathering. Gun firing was echoing in the pitch black darkness. The only lights they had were flashlights and some lit tiki torches on the guard tower. Tara and Rosita were up on the guard tower, firing at walkers while Abraham, Rick and Carl were pressing against the gate to keep it up so the walkers didn't push it down. Paul frowned. He had a feeling he knew what was happening. Those two herds had caught up to them. If the girls hadn't fired on them, they could've remained silent and hope the herd just passed through. Now they had to think of a plan to either kill all of the walkers or draw them away. 

He looked around. There was no way to get the cars out of the gate without the walkers getting in. There wasn't a back gate either. They needed bombs, and lots of them. He walked up to Olivia who was watching from the side lines. “I need chemicals and empty glass jars.” The woman looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion. “I'm going to make bombs!”

Daryl looked over when he heard Paul yell. He walked over to them. “Bombs? Out of what?”

“Just... show me where everything is.” When he got her nod, he relaxed and followed her back to her house where the pantry was. He could feel the hunter's presence at his side and felt calmed by it. Olivia opened the door and showed him where all the chemicals were kept. He looked them over, nodding to himself. “Alright... get me as much of that bleach, rubbing alcohol and baking soda as possible. I need lighters, lighter fluid, soft cloths and as much glass jars as possible. Try to find anything sharp as well. Anything that'll pierce the walker's skulls.”

She nodded and they all worked together to get the items onto a large table. Paul got to work measuring and filling glass mason jars with the liquids and broken pieces of glass and sharp shredded metal. He cut holes into the lids so he could stuff the cloths that he'd doused with lighter fluid into the jars. Daryl helped him, following the ninja's orders precisely. Olivia was helping as well, trying to get as many bombs made as possible. After about an hour, Aaron ran in.

“What're you guys doin? We need help out here! They can't hold the gate much longer- did you make bombs?” He lowered his gun, staring at the table filled with jars of liquid and shrapnel. “Jesus... how many are there?”

Paul smiled proudly. “Oh, I don't know... fifty maybe.” He took a deep breath. “Okay, we only have five lighters. I want two people throwing bombs at the walkers at the gate and three others will lead walkers away with bombs. I want them as far away from the community as possible. So, twenty bombs go to the gate and the rest go with people outside the community. Take the twenty to Rosita and Tara, Daryl help me get the rest into boxes.”  
Aaron nodded and helped Olivia put the twenty bombs into boxes and carried them out to the gate. Paul and Daryl loaded up the rest into three separate boxes. They carried them to a safe part of the gate and Aaron met them and helped lower them down onto the other side of the gate. They ran in three different directions, blowing up a car or tree at separate intervals to lead the walkers away. They all had to kill a walker that got too close, but by the time the sun rose the walkers had either been killed or wandered away, drawn in by something else. When they all met back at the gate, they were covered in dirt, guts and sweat.

No walkers had gotten past the gate thanks to Paul's bombs and everyone's persistence. When the three walked up to the gate, it was opened and people were working to get it cleared. Rick looked up from a glass of water and nodded to them. “Olivia said the bombs were your idea, Jesus?”

Paul nodded. “Yes. Just a little trick I picked up at the orphanage I grew up in.” That wasn't a total lie. He had learned how to make bombs out of chemicals at the orphanage. He just wasn't about to tell Rick that he'd been part of a dangerous gang during his teen years and that the orphanage had been their main base of operations.

The ex cop raised an eyebrow. “What kind of orphanage did you grow up in?” He chuckled. 

The ninja merely chuckled and shook his head. “Anyways... we should get these bodies cleared up before more walkers show up.” 

Everyone worked together through out the day to toss the walkers into a ditch they'd dug up and burn them. The gate and streets were cleaned up, inventory was taken and once everyone was accounted for they all split off to relax and rest. Rosita and Tara were given the rest of the day and the next day off since they'd worked all on the guard tower all night. Michonne and Aaron took watch for the night while Paul and Daryl went back home to shower together and relax. They ate a nice dinner with a bit of wine, only one glass for Daryl, then climbed into bed to sleep.

The next morning, Paul got up first and went across the street to Denise's house to get his gun shot wound checked out. She looked it over again and changed the bandage, deeming him fine. She gave him a couple pain killers and he left. He walked down the street to where Denise told him the pantry was. He wanted to make Daryl a nice breakfast. Olivia was very sweet, giving him a couple boxes of food to keep in the house for the duration of their stay. He hoped the kitchen still had some pots and pans. He walked in, finding Daryl sitting on the steps crying. That was an image he figured he would never see if the hunter wasn't pregnant. 

“What's wrong, baby?” He asked as he set the boxes down.

The hunter's head shot up from his hands and he got up. “Paul!” He hurried down the last few steps, arms wrapping around the younger man's shoulders. “I woke up 'n ya's gone, I thought it was all a dream... 'r that I'd gone crazy 'n made it all up.” He hiccuped and sobbed. He really hated these hormones. They made him unable to control his emotions.

Paul smiled and chuckled softly as he brought his arms up to hug around Daryl's waist. “I'm sorry, baby. I wanted to have Denise look at my wound one more time and then I went to Olivia's to get some food. I was gonna surprise you with breakfast, but you got up sooner than I thought you would. Yesterday was very traumatizing for us, so I thought you might sleep longer.” He pet his hands up and down Daryl's back to soothe him. 

Daryl leaned back once he was calm. “Promise I ain't normally this emotional.” He sniffled, reaching up to wipe the wet tracks on his cheeks. “It must annoy ya.”

“Not at all.” Paul smiled. “I find it rather adorable.” He kissed the older man's cheek sweetly. He licked his lips, winking at Daryl. “Salty.”

Daryl huffed and shoved him away lightly, though he couldn't stop the smile. “Prick.” The younger man chuckled and picked the boxes back up. They walked into the kitchen and he helped Paul put everything away and checked to see if the pots and pans were still in the cabinets. He pulled out what Paul needed and set them on the stove. 

“Ya'll were lucky to find a community that stil had running water and working gas and electricity.” Paul mused as he got out the vegetables and eggs. “When I first got to Hilltop they didn't have anything.”

Daryl hummed in agreement, then looked up at the ninja in confusion. “Hilltop?” Tara had mentioned Maggie and Glenn were staying there, but Paul hadn't said he knew of the place. “You been there?”

Paul tensed and stared down at the carrot he was slicing in silence for a moment. “Yeah. I was there for... a few months earlier this year.” He swallowed thickly, pushing the carrot into the skillet with the back of the knife. The skillet hissed and steamed up, so Paul turned the fan on. He grabbed a bell pepper and started slicing it up as well, tossing the core and seeds into the trash under the sink.

Why hadn't Daryl heard of this before? He'd told Paul quite a bit about his time with Rick and the others on the road and the many different places they'd stayed. Paul had never once mentioned any communities he'd stayed it. He'd only talked about his time surviving alone and the people he'd had to kill to protect himself. Was there still so much about Paul he didn't know? Sure, they'd only known each other for a couple months, but he felt like they'd talked about so much. He thought he knew the ninja. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Paul sighed and set the knife down. “Daryl, I-I don't want to talk about it. It's a painful subject.” He turned away, grabbing a mixing bowl and breaking eggs into it. He grabbed a fork and started mixing it. He could feel the hunter's eyes on him.

“Oh, so... I tell you all about my painful history in high school 'n with my father 'n Rick, but I don't get ta hear nothin about you?” Daryl growled, hands clenched and eyes glaring at the ninja. 

“Daryl, let it go.” Paul whispered. 

“Why? God, Paul, I feel like I barely know ya! We're gonna have a baby soon and I know nothin about you!”

As soon as the hunter raised his voice, Paul went on the defensive. He dumped the eggs into the skillet and tossed the metal mixing bowl into the sink with a loud clank. “You know plenty!” He ignored how Daryl flinched at the loud sound, especially since it only seemed to make him angrier. 

“Like what?!” Daryl stepped back at the loud clang of the sink and bowl. “All I know is that you was a nurse studyin ta be a baby doctor 'n that yer favorite band is the Weeknd! Other than that, I don't know shit!” 

“Those are merely facts, Daryl! You know who I am and that I love you, why isn't that enough?!” Paul turned to face the hunter, eyes cold and tongue sharp.

“I ain't sayin that ain't enough! 'm just sayin that I wanna know more! I wanna know what happened to yer family! What'd you do on weekends when ya wasn't workin?! What were yer friends like?! I've opened up ta you more than I have anyone else, so I jus-”

“More than you have Rick?” Paul glared, arms crossed. He ignored the pain in his shoulder. It was nice to feel something other than anger and hurt at the moment. 

The hunter growled again, feeling his chest tighten. “The fuck is that supposed ta mean?”

Paul wanted to regret the words, but he couldn't bring himself to apologize, or to stop from talking more. “I'm just saying that you've told me you and Rick spent hours at night just talking, so I have to wonder what all have you told him that you haven't told me. What kind of words did you whisper in his ear when he was fucking you?”

Daryl got up in his face, finger against his chest. “We ain't talkin about Rick.”

The younger man didn't budge. He held Daryl's furious gaze with his own. “You wanted to get to know me, didn't you? These are thoughts that I have. I'm sorry if you don't like them.” He stepped even closer. “I never asked you to tell me about yourself or your past. You brought it up on your own.” Behind him the eggs were starting to burn, but he wasn't focused on them. He was focused on the hunter in front of him.

“I talked about them cause I wanted you ta know about me. It's easy ta tell now that you don't care enough ta open up ta me. I ain't sure that's a relationship I want. Had enough'a that with Rick.” Daryl shoved Paul away and stormed out of the house through the side door in the kitchen.

Paul's back hit the counter. He leaned against it, staring at the space Daryl had occupied mere seconds again. His chest hurt and his throat felt tight. He felt tears sliding down his cheeks, but he ignored them. Why hadn't he just opened up to Daryl? Why couldn't Daryl just drop the subject? He shakily turned and shut the burner under the burned omelet off. A sob made its way out of his throat. He held back the next sob and left the house. He needed to work out and get his mind off of Daryl. He made sure he had his knives and jumped over the fence.

 

Daryl stormed down to the lake and sat down on the grass, knees drawn close to his chest and belly. He wrapped his arms around his knees, fighting down a sob. What the fuck had he just done? He sighed shakily and rubbed his hands over his face. Did he really just break up with Paul? What the fuck was wrong with him? Why was he so upset that Paul wouldn't tell him about Hilltop? He gripped his hair, muttering to himself that he was stupid and an idiot and he'd just ruined the best thing in his life. 

“Daryl..?”

Rick's voice made the hunter tense. He sniffled and looked over his shoulder at the ex cop. “Fuck off, Rick. I don't wanna talk ta ya right now.” He looked back toward the lake. He groaned when the man sat down next to him instead of leaving. “Rick-”

“What's wrong, Daryl?” Rick's voice was soft and concerned, his eyes focused solely on the hunter. He could feel how tense the hunter was and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Did somethin happen with Paul?”

“Oh, so now yer actually concerned about me?” Daryl growled, scooting away from the other man. He smacked Rick's hand off his shoulder. He sighed and rubbed his baby bump. “... We had a fight.”

“About what?” He scooted closer to the hunter again. He wanted to touch the baby bump, but he didn't think Daryl would let him, so he kept his hands to himself for now.

The hunter sighed. “Somethin so fuckin stupid... these damn hormones are drivin me nuts.” He rubbed his belly, staring out over the lake. Rick's presence was somewhat calming, especially since the man wasn't trying anything. “I jus... we say we love each other, but I feel like I don't know him. Ya know? I've opened up to 'im so much, told 'im all my darkest secrets 'n he hasn't told me nothin cept the basic stuff.”

Rick hummed, leaning back and staring up at the sky. “Well, maybe he's just not ready to open up. Everyone does it at their own pace.” He looked over at Daryl. “You opened up because you were ready to tell him everything. So, obviously he's not. I mean, I know you had some pretty painful things in your past, but he probably does, too.” Daryl contemplated this, biting his bottom lip. Rick was completely right. Paul just wasn't ready and he'd tried pushing him into telling him. He was such an asshole. He didn't deserve someone as good as Paul. “Or, you know, maybe he doesn't wanna tell you because he knows it'll push you away, so he's biding his time until he can force you to stay with him.” He shrugged. “You never know the reason until he tells you.”

Daryl looked over at him, squinting a bit as if trying to decide what Rick was getting what. He carefully stood up. “Right... well... I need ta go find 'im and apologize.”

The Alexandria leader stood as well. “Hold on, Daryl. What if this is a good thing?”

“What d'ya mean?” Daryl stepped back a bit.

“This could be our chance to try again.” Rick smiled, reaching up to put a hand on Daryl's cheek. “I made a mistake, I see that now. Daryl, you're the best thing to ever happen to me next to Carl and Judy. Would you be willing to give me a second chance?”

“Rick,” Daryl looked down, “ya got no idea how long I been dyin ta hear them words; but, its too late. 'm in love with Paul. I don't care if he was a mob leader, he's done more fer me than anyone in my life. I know him, even if I don't know everything about him.” He gently removed Rick's hand from his cheek. “Ya should apologize ta Michonne. She'd be good fer you.” He turned and walked away. 

Rick watched after him, fists clenched. 

 

Paul returned in the evening, sneaking back over the fence and through the back door of the house he was sharing with Daryl. Dinner was on the table with candles lit and a vase of freshly picked flowers. He blinked as Daryl stepped in, looking showered and nicely dressed. “Uh... hey. What's this?”

Daryl bit his bottom lip and smiled a bit. “S'my apology fer this mornin. I was... pushy 'n a stubborn asshole. I'm sorry.”

Paul felt incredibly under dressed and dirty. He was covered in dirt, sweat and walker guts. “Oh, Daryl... you didn't have to do this.” He walked up to the hunter, but didn't touch him. He didn't want to get his nice clothes dirty. “Thank you. I forgive you and I apologize as well. You're right, I know so much about you, but I've told you so little about myself.”

The older man leaned down and kissed Paul sweetly. “You can tell me when yer ready. I'll listen to every word.” He pet the younger man's cheek lovingly, staring into his eyes. 

“Daryl.” Paul teared up and kissed the man deeply. He pulled back before they could really get into it. “Let me go shower and change.” He pecked him one more time before hurrying upstairs to shower. 

Daryl watched him go with a smile. He should thank Rick for helping him see where he'd been wrong. As if on cue, a knock sounded on the front door. He walked down the hall and answered it, smiling when he saw Rick standing on the porch. “Hey, man... listen, thanks fer earlier. I know things are a lil tense between us, but I'd still like ta be friends.”

Rick glanced down at Daryl's baby bump. “I don't think I can do that, Daryl. I want to be in the baby's life, but I heard you and Paul are planning on leaving soon.” His hands were in the pockets of his brown, leather jacket.

The hunter tensed, glancing down at Rick's hands. He didn't like the hunched posture the man had, so he stepped back a bit. “Rick, I don't like it here, and neither does Paul. We wanna go near the ocean. He says there's a community there called Oceanside.”

“That baby is mine, Daryl.” Rick growled. He tilted his head some. “I won't let you take it from me.” He turned and stormed down the porch and disappeared down the street.

Daryl shut the door and locked it. Shit. He glared at the door, fists clenched. He was still afraid, but he wouldn't let the fear control him anymore. With a new found determination, he took a deep breath and let himself relax. He would have to plan.


	9. Ch. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick, Paul and Daryl run into someone dangerous.

Paul came back down from his shower, having blow-dried his hair and put it up. He was wearing his nicest clothes, a dark blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up to show off his arms and some gray slacks. He hadn't bothered with shoes. He saw Daryl leaning against the door and stopped on the bottom step. Daryl looked terrified, but still had a determined look on his face. He frowned, wondering what could've happened in the fifteen minutes he'd been upstairs taking a shower. He stepped down and reached up to pet the hunter's hair. 

“Hey. Are you okay?” He asked softly. The hunter's eyes flicked up to Paul's face and a smile crossed his lips. The terrified look vanished, replaced by an affectionate gaze meant only for the younger man.

“Yeah. 'm fine.” He leaned in and kissed Paul softly, hands going to the younger man's hips. “C'mon, let's eat.” He took Paul's hand and led the man down the hall to the dining room. 

He wasn't going to let Rick take the baby from him or hurt Paul. The ninja had done so much to protect Daryl and their baby, it was high time he did the protecting. He'd been so scared since he found out he was pregnant, he'd forgotten who he was. He's a Dixon, a hunter, a survivor of not only abuse but of the dead coming back to life. He would take care of Rick himself, no matter the cost. They sat down to eat, talking quietly and playing footsie under the table. Paul's smile was infectious and Daryl vowed to do everything he could to keep that smile on the ninja's handsome face.

When they'd finished eating, Paul got up and started picking up their dishes. Daryl grabbed his hand and shook his head. He gently pulled him closer and settled the ninja in his lap, mindful of his ever-growing baby belly. Paul blushed a bit, but smiled and got himself comfortable. He leaned in and kissed Daryl. He murmured a soft 'thank you for dinner' into the hunter's lips. Daryl's hands held his hips, keeping him close. He loved the feeling of the ninja's thick, powerful thighs atop his own. Even before he'd started transitioning he'd been tall and lanky. He'd worked to gain his muscle mass as soon as he'd decided to transition.

Hefting that fifty-pound crossbow and deer carcasses around while hunting had certainly helped him build muscle. At the time, he couldn't afford a gym, so he did all his workouts in the backyard of the tiny shack he and Merle had grown up in. He'd lifted tires, heavy car parts and homemade barbell he'd put together with iron rods and smelted metals shaped into weights. He'd always been very innovative and creative when he was younger. When the world had ended he'd had to put that innovation to good use again.

And he planned on using it against Rick now.

Paul pulled back from the kiss, licking the bit of saliva from his lips and sighing softly. He pet his hands along Daryl's broad shoulders and up his neck to hold his cheeks. “You're beautiful, you know.” He smiled as the hunter's cheeks pinked up. “I'm serious. The moment I laid eyes on you I felt like I couldn't breathe. The world around you was so still and quiet, I guess I felt like if I breathed I would shatter it all.”

“Now yer just tryin ta get into my pants.” Daryl chuckled, lowering his face to hide. The ninja in his lap hummed and lifted his face again. They locked eyes and the older man had to swallow thickly at the arousal and need in the ninja's eyes.

“Maybe I am.” He grinned lasciviously and ground his hips forward, letting the hunter feel just how hard he was getting. “What're you gonna do about it?” He nipped Daryl's bottom lip, hands sliding down his chest and unbuttoning his shirt as they went lower and lower. When they reached the hunter's pants, he unbuttoned them as well. 

Daryl hummed in thought, eyes going dark with arousal and a soft rumble building in his chest. He stood up, hands gripping Paul's ass and depositing him on a clean spot on the table. “Gonna try to get into yer pants first.” He murmured as he kissed down the ninja's neck. His lover moaned softly, head tilting back as the hunter sucked a mark under his ear. He made quick work of the younger man's shirt, pushing it down his strong shoulders and well-defined biceps. He loved Paul's body. The man was all muscle and smooth skin. He took very good care of himself. 

Just as he got to Paul's jeans, he felt a hand sliding down the front of his jeans and a finger tease his clit. He let out a whimper against Paul's ear. Paul was such a damn cheater. His fingers were warm and smooth, rubbing his clit just right and then further to his pussy. He yanked the scout’s jeans open and off. His cock sprang free, already hard and leaking at the tip a bit. Daryl groaned, wrapping his fingers around it. He grinned as his lover’s hips bucked. They teased each other relentlessly, kisses wet and bodies thrumming with arousal. They’d nearly broken the chair with how hard the hunter had ridden the younger man.

Daryl would never look at a dinner table the same way again. 

The next morning, Daryl woke to the sound of someone knocking on the front door. He groaned, shifting around in his warm bed. Paul was wrapped around him with a koala bear with on hand on his belly and the other under his belly. He blinked awake slowly as the knocking echoed through the nearly empty house. He sighed and started pulling away from his lover, drawing a soft whine of disappointment from him. 

“Relax, I’ll be right back.” He chuckled and pulled some pants on. He pulled on a shirt as he left the room and headed downstairs. His hips were sore in a good way. 

He was amazed he could even walk after all the sex they’d had last night. He passed the dining room and grinned at the mess of clothes all over the floor. After they’d finished in the dining room, they’d moved to the bathroom to shower and then to the bedroom when the water got cold. He’d been dripping cum for the rest of the night. His thighs were sticky and he loved it. He finally reached the door and opened it. Rick was on the porch and Daryl tensed.

“Rick, what’re you doin here? Come to threaten me and my baby again?” The hunter glared, gripping the handle of the front door tightly. 

The ex-cop had the gall to look ashamed. “N-No. I’m not. I actually wanted to see if you and Paul would come with me on a run.” At Daryl’s unimpressed stare, he sighed and continued to explain. “Michonne’s pregnant… and needs prenatal vitamins and wants to start stocking up on baby clothes.”

How could one man be so fucking fertile? 

Daryl growled and, within a split second, his fist met the other man’s cheek and Rick was sprawled out on the porch, blood dripping down his nose and onto the blue chipping paint. The hunter stepped outside, getting between the ex-cop’s spread legs. “You fuckin asshole! How many people ya gonna get pregnant before ya learn ta keep yer duck in yer pants?!”

Paul hurried down the stairs, hair a mess from slumber and wearing only a pair of Daryl’s jeans. “Daryl, baby, what’s wrong?” He stepped outside, hand immediately sliding up his lover’s back to try to soothe him. 

“Rick wants us ta go on a run with him ta get Michonne some prenatal vitamins and baby clothes.” He didn’t take his eyes off the man below him. He still didn’t trust him not to do anything to him or Paul, or even worse to his baby.

Paul didn’t know which one Michonne was, but he recalled Daryl, Tara, and Rosita talking about her. He knew she and Rick were together or at least had been before she found out how he’d treated the hunter. So, she was pregnant, too? He looked down at the Alexandrian leader. Or was this all a ruse to get him and Daryl out of the safety of the gates so he could do something to one or both of them? He didn’t trust the man, but if someone needed help he wasn’t about to turn away. 

“Alright. We’ll go with you.” At Daryl’s confused and concerned look, he merely held his hand up. “But… if you try to pull anything, I won’t hesitate to put you down.” Paul’s threats were not meant to be taken lightly. 

Rick would learn that the hard way.

 

An hour later the three men were on their way to the nearby city to take a look at a few baby stores and convenience stores. Daryl sat in the back since Paul didn’t trust Rick not to try anything where he couldn’t protect the hunter without wrecking the car and causing more damage. The city was only a couple hours away at the speed Rick was going. The atmosphere within the vehicle was tense and silent. Already, Daryl couldn’t wait to be back in the community. The city was only a couple hours away at the speed Rick was going, so they reached it fairly quickly.

Daryl was grateful to be out of the car. He stretched and rubbed his belly, smiling when Paul came over and rubbed it as well. “Gotta piss.” He murmured and kissed the scout’s cheek. He went to an alley and checked around before ducking behind a dumpster and doing his business. He quickly wiped with a wipe form a small travel sized package he kept on him at all times and pulled his pants back up. He tossed the wipe away and left the alley. He stopped when he saw no one beside the car. 

Where were Paul and Rick?

He took his crossbow off his shoulder and cocked the string back. He put a bolt on the flight grove and approached the car cautiously. He looked around. Paul’s car door was still open and there was blood on the window. His stomach dropped as he looked at the ground. There was more blood and one of Paul’s knives on the curb. He walked to the front of the car and found a body with another knife in the forehead. The man was in blue jeans and a leather jacket with ‘Saviors’ stitched on the back. He frowned. He felt like he’d heard that name before. He bent down and took the knife from the man’s head and wiped it on his jeans. He slipped it into his boot, then turned and grabbed the other knife, slipping it into his back pocket. He stood straight again and looked around. 

A racket in the store to his left made him spin around and bring his crossbow up. He slowed his breathing. The baby was moving about and seemed to settle against his kidney. He grunted a bit but continued to move forward. He peeked into the store, spotting a flashlight beam on a jewelry case. The door was propped open by a broken brick, so he stepped inside and aimed the bolt at the man in the leather jacket. 

“Ya don’t seem the type ta like big rubies, man.”

The man jumped and spun around. The ruby necklace went flying into the wall and hit the floor, bouncing a couple times before coming to a stop. The man pulled a gun out from the back of his pants. “You with those other two?”

Daryl scowled. His finger twitched on the trigger, but he didn’t pull it. This man had seen Paul and Rick. He needed answers. “Where are they?”

“Oh, they’re probably experiencing the hospitality of Negan right about now.” The man chuckled, waving the gun about as he spoke. “We saw ya’ll drive into town and, since this is our territory, he didn’t much appreciate you come in without his permission.”

“Negan sounds like a fuckin asshole,” Daryl growled and pulled the trigger. The bolt flew with the speed of cobra striking and landed in the man’s forehead. The man fell to the ground and Daryl walked up to him. He yanked his bolt out and cleaned it with a rag. The rag went to his back pocket and the bolt went back into the crossbow flight groove. He left the store. He looked up and down the street as an RV pulled up.

The side door of the RV opened and a man stepped out. He was tall, broad shoulders with his hair slicked back and a devilish smile. Daryl merely glared at him. He didn’t care how attractive the man was. He wanted his lover and Rick back. “Hello there, gorgeous!” He reached into the door and pulled out a baseball bat with barbed wire nailed into it. “You must be Daryl.” He walked up to the hunter, his stride confident and practically a swagger. “I’m Negan.”

He was just a bit taller than Daryl, so the hunter looked up at him and gave him a cold stare. “Am I supposed ta be scared?”

Negan chuckled, swinging the bat up onto his shoulder. “You’re not now, but you will be by the time I’m done with you and your friends.” He turned a bit, looking over his shoulder and whistled. 

Rick and Daryl were shoved out of the RV, hands tied behind their backs and stripped of their weapons. They were forced down on their knees. Paul looked up and his eyes roamed Daryl’s body to check him for injuries. When he seemed satisfied that the hunter was uninjured, he turned his steely gaze to Negan. 

“I swear to fucking God if you hurt him-” 

One of the Saviors behind Paul punched him in the back of the head. “Shut the fuck up!”

Daryl immediately brought his crossbow up and fired off the bolt. The Savior stumbled back and fell against the RV, sliding down until he was limp on the pavement. Negan whistled lowly and turned to the hunter. He looked impressed but incredibly pissed. “Now, I’m afraid that was a bad idea, darlin.” He stepped back from Daryl, swinging the bat down to rest by his foot. “I don’t like people takin what belongs to me. That man there belonged to me and you just killed him. That’s punishable by death.” The bat came up, but the hunter didn’t flinch, not even as the bat started coming down for his head. 

“HE’S PREGNANT!” Paul shouted out. 

Negan froze, the bat inches from the hunter’s head. He stared at Daryl in confusion for a moment. He leaned back, eyes going up and down the other man’s body. Daryl sighed and closed his eyes as comprehension came to Negan’s face. 

“Please, don’t hurt him.” 

Negan turned a bit to look at Paul, then looked at Daryl. He chuckled a bit. “You two are together?” The hunter’s flushed cheeks were all the answer he needed. He smirked and bit his bottom lip. This was just too good. He walked up to Paul, resting the bat on the scout’s shoulder. He could see the fear in the hunter’s eyes now. “Ah, see, now you’re scared of me.” He reached down and grabbed a fistful of Paul’s hair and yanked his head back. Paul hissed in pain. “I wonder what I should do.”

Daryl swallowed thickly. His heart raced and his blood ran cold in his veins. He couldn’t bear it if he got Paul killed. “Please, don’t.” He almost whimpered. He lowered his bow and let it fall to the sidewalk.

Negan purred and let go of Paul’s hair with a shove to his head. He smirked and licked his lips. “That’s more like it.” He strode back up to Daryl and did the same to the hunter as he’d done to Paul. He grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head back. “But don’t think you’re getting away without getting punished, baby doll.” 

Paul squirmed to get out of his restraints. He could do it easily, he just needed more time. He saw Negan peck Daryl on the lips and growled. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he didn’t like it one bit. He hated the defeated look on his lover’s face as Negan finally released his hair. He reached down and grabbed the hunter’s crossbow and whistled. 

“Pack them up! We’re heading back home!” He wrapped an arm around Daryl’s shoulders. “These two go in the back of the van! Jesus there is gonna be our new nurse! I’ll think of something to do with the other prick!”

Rick and Paul were grabbed and forced to their feet. They both watched as Negan pulled Daryl into the RV with him until they were shoved into the back of the van. As soon as the doors were shut, Paul yanked the bindings off his wrists. He crawled over to Rick and helped him get free. “Who the hell is this guy?”

“... Negan. He’s a terror to the communities around us.” Rick murmured. He rubbed at his sore wrists gingerly. “We’d been lucky so far to avoid him, but someone at Hilltop must’ve told him about us. Probably that asshole, Gregory.” 

Paul glared at him. “And you didn’t think to tell me about him when you asked us to come out on this run with you? Daryl and the baby are in danger now!”

Rick looked up at Paul. He smirked. “I’d planned on running into him.” He knew the Saviors liked to scavenge in certain areas. Up until Daryl and Paul came along, they’d avoided this city for just that reason. He’d made up the lie about Michonne being pregnant because he knew Daryl wouldn’t be able to resist helping anyone in their family. Negan wouldn’t hurt Daryl due to his pregnancy; but, Paul was another story.


	10. Ch. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Negan are at odds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for dubcon, blood, and violence

Daryl nearly stumbled out of the RV from the shove Negan gave his back to get him to step off. He looked around. What the fuck is this place? They were in some kind of factory with cement walls built around it, barbed wire on top and walkers chained to them to keep any escapees in and intruders out. He swallowed thickly. Getting out of here would be very difficult. He turned as Negan stepped off and the van pulled up behind them. The two men got out and walked around to the back of the van and yanked the doors open. 

“What the hell?!” One man was killed with a quick snap of his neck and the other was pounced by Paul, fists slamming into his face. 

Daryl smirked and watched as several other men were taken down by his furious lover until Negan had a gun to his head. He held still as Paul stopped and slowly stood up, eyes cold as they stared Negan down. The men slowly groaned and got up, bodies bruised and bleeding. Several more came over and bound Paul’s wrists again. They pulled Rick out, shocked to find him passed out and face bruised and bleeding. Negan shook his head.

“Take the prick to the infirmary and put the tiger in a cell. Make sure he’s chained up good, I don’t want any more men getting beat to bloody hell by him.” He smirked and put his gun away. He replaced his arm around Daryl’s shoulders. “This beauty is coming with me.” He turned away, pulling Daryl with him inside. 

The hunter memorized every turn they took and every room they passed through. There was so many men, women, and children around, all doing some kind of chore. The walls were labeled in different colors of paint, giving directions and rules such as ‘no rape’ and ‘what’s your’s is Negan’s.’ Daryl snorted at the rules. He didn’t believe this man was truly against rape. He’d heard rumors and met some people while on the road by himself that Negan was vile, ruthless and twistedly moralistic. As they turned a corner, he spotted a man he’d seen several months ago mopping the floor wearing a dirty set of pajamas, half his face burned. It was like time passed slowly as they passed him. Daryl’s heart raced in somewhat fear and anger that the man was still alive. 

Jason…

He’d attacked Daryl in Dale city shortly after he’d left Alexandria. Daryl had barely managed to get out alive. The man must’ve been drugged up or something. For such a skinny guy he’d been so damn strong. While they’d wrestled, he spouted nonsense about having seen Daryl washing up and now he had a pussy. He’d wanted to rape him. For once, Daryl was glad walkers had shown up. They’d distracted the man enough for Daryl to hit him with a large rock and escape. How the man survived the walkers Daryl didn’t care to know. He glared at the man, he merely smirked as if pleased to see Daryl.

They turned a corner and Negan opened a room, letting Daryl in first. The hunter glanced around. It was a simple room with a bed and a couple nightstands with books on them. A dresser had a bowl and a mirror on it for washing up and shaving. There was another door which seemed to lead into a bathroom with only a toilet and sink. When he saw all the clothes and papers everywhere, he huffed. 

“Do you ever clean?” He turned to the leader of the Saviors with a raised eyebrow. 

“I’m a busy man. I ain’t got time to clean.” Negan snorted and took his bat and the hunter’s crossbow and put them on the bed. 

“Uh- Nah. Not on the bed.” The hunter crossed his arms. “If I’m gonna share yer bed, it’s gonna clean, no blood, guts or grease of any kind.”

Negan turned to look at him. Was this bitch really ordering him around? He looked down at the bloody bat and greasy bow. “So..? It’s gonna get dirty with cum anyways.”

“Cum I can deal with. Not blood. I’m pregnant for fuck’s sake. I don’t wanna be gettin an infection ‘n lose my baby.” He walked over and picked up the bat and bow and moved them to the other dresser. “If you want me ta stay here ‘n not kill everyone in this damn place, ya gotta start cleanin up after yerself. I ain’t gonna be no damn maid.” Daryl went around, picking up dirty clothes anyways. He used to not care about cleanliness, but now he couldn’t stand a dirty house. He figured it was probably the pregnancy hormones or his maternity instincts kicking in. 

Negan watched him for a moment. This man had some balls to be talking to him like this. He grinned. He liked it. Anyone else and Lucille would already be bashing their head in, but something about the hunter had him aroused. The man was feisty and unafraid. He must’ve been through shit to be so fearless. Once the hunter had all the clothes into a hamper, Negan walked up to him and pulled him close. 

“You are something else, Daryl.” Negan grinned, leaning in to kiss him. 

Daryl turned his head away. “No, I’m just not scared shitless of standing up to you. You’re just another man who needs people’s respect in order to feel like a real man.” He raised an eyebrow at Negan’s frown. “Yeah, I see right through you. Ya want my respect, yer gonna have to earn it.” He wiggled out of Negan’s hold. “Now, d’ya mind tellin me what exactly ya want me ta do as yer ‘wife?’” He held up both hands, using his fingers to make quotation marks.

“Well, my dear pregnant wife, your job is gonna be fucking pleasing me.” The man grinned and took his jacket off, tossing it on the bed. 

Daryl watched the jacket fly and land on the bed, tilting his head and crossing his arms as well. “Pleasing you?” He just fucking cleaned the bed off from the clothes and weapons. Anger boiled up in his chest. “Yeah, that ain’t happenin-”

“Oh, well, I guess I’ll just have to bash your little boyfriend’s head in,” Negan smirked when Daryl tensed. “He’s also pretty enough to be my wife as well. I bet he screams real loud-”

“Alright!” The hunter clenched his fists. He looked down, bangs covering his face. “I’ll-I’ll do whatever you want.”

Negan smirked, stepping closer. He reached up and grabbed the back of Daryl’s hair. He yanked his head back. “Good. That’s what I like to hear. Now, on your fucking knees.” He smiled as Daryl slowly knelt down. “Good boy…”

 

Paul sighed as he leaned his head back against the concrete wall behind him. His wrists were chained painfully tight he could barely form a fist. His head hurt from the blow to the head he took when they were chaining him up. He was so high up his toes barely reached the floor. He really needed to get out of here so he could find Daryl and get them both home. He could do anything, though. He was stuck. He couldn’t reach his hair so he could get the lockpicks from it. His feet were dangling too much and he’d used all his energy fighting against the Saviors as they dragged him to the cell. He would have to wait and bide his time.

The cell door opened, making him tense and open his eyes. Negan walked in, followed by a couple of the Saviors. He had Lucille on his shoulder. Paul thought he looked like a damn fool wearing just a white t-shirt and jeans with the barbed wire bat in hand. He had a cocky grin on his face and Paul really wanted to just wipe it off, preferably with his fist or boot… maybe even one of his knives. He just needed to wait for the right chance. 

“Well, I gotta say, pretty boy, that pregnant boyfriend of yours has a mighty fine mouth.” He handed the bat over to one of the men and walked up closer to Paul. “He’s a feisty, sassy boy and I love it. Getting him to obey was a bit of problem, but as soon as I threatened your life he got right down on his knees and put those pretty red lips to work.” 

Paul growled. “I’ll fucking kill you.” He cleaned his fists, not even caring as the cuffs dug into his skin and warm blood trailed down his arms. 

Negan chuckled. “I’d like to see you try. See, I’m gonna keep you locked up in here until I’m sure Daryl’s not gonna try something. Then, I’ll have you working in the infirmary, keeping my men healthy, and for extra insurance that you won’t try anything, I’ll keep Daryl close. Once that baby is born…” he licked his lips “well, guess you’ll be delivering a second baby in a couple years.” 

“I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH HIM AGAIN!” Paul screamed, yanking at his cuffs and kicking his legs out at the man. “YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD!”

Negan leaned back to avoid a wayward leg with a chuckle. “Maybe, but first you gotta get out of those chains.” He grabbed Paul’s legs in a tight grip and leaned forward. “Face it, pretty boy. Your lover is mine now, and so are you. I’m gonna make you both my bitches.” 

Paul spit in his face. “Daryl isn’t anybody’s bitch. And neither am I.” 

The man leaned back. He reached up to rub the spit off his cheek and chin, shaking his hand to fling it off. He glared at the long-haired man and backhanded him across the cheek. “Do that again and we’ll see what happens to Daryl.” He growled and turned away. “Make sure he doesn’t get out.” He did not want to see what would happen to his men if Paul ever got out. The pretty boy had a strength to him Negan had no intention of ever experiencing. He left the room, the two men following behind. 

Paul sighed as the door slammed shut, once again bathing him in chilly darkness.

What was he going to do..?

 

Daryl peeked out of the room, glancing up and down the hall. He stepped out and shut the door behind him. He had to find Paul and get them out of here. He started down the hall, looking at the walls for any directions to the cells. He ran into a few people and kept his eyes downcast, not wanting to seem suspicious. He followed the directions on the walls and soon found himself in the basement. The cells were more like tiny rooms that had been used for storage, cleaning supplies or offices. He cursed softly. How was he going to find Paul in any of these rooms? None of the doors had windows on them. 

He tried one door, but it was locked. He sighed and rubbed his face. He was so fucking tired. Negan had not gone easy on him, so his throat hurt, his mind was fuzzy and he felt thoroughly violated. He needed to find the guard on shift. He walked to each door, trying the door knobs and listening for any sounds from inside. Every door was locked. He tried to last door in that hall and slammed his fist into it with frustration. He growled, resting his forehead on the cool metal door. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself. He needed to think straight if he was going to rescue Paul. 

After a few deep breaths, he pushed off the door and walked around a corner. At a table a few feet away, a couple Saviors were gambling over a game of Old Maid. Lazy bastards. They looked up as he walked up to them.

“Hey! Who the hell are you?”

“I’m pregnant ‘n moody,” Daryl grumbled as his fist met with the man’s cheek. The man stumbled back from the force of it, landing into the pile of boxes they’d been using as a table. The boxes crumbled under his weight and the cards flew everywhere. The other Savior charged Daryl, but he picked up one of the chairs and swung it. The flimsy chair cracked and shattered when it met the man’s head. He fell to the ground with a groan, reaching up to rub his head. Daryl picked up a pipe that had tumbled out of one of the boxes and brought it down on both their heads to make sure they wouldn’t get back up dead or alive. He panted when he felt satisfied he’d taken his frustrations out on them. He tossed the pipe aside and dug through the ruined boxes for the keys to the cells. 

He felt a cramp in his stomach and grunted, leaning on the wall a moment. He rubbed his baby bump and took a few more deep breaths. Once the pain passed he started unlocking doors and checking the cells. Most of the cells were empty, some had walkers that Daryl had to quickly shove back in and lock the cell before they could get out. By the time he got through ten cells, his stomach was hurting progressively worse. He stumbled to the next cell, eyes hazy and face pale. It took him several tries to get the key in the lock since his vision was wavering. He heard the click and sighed softly. He shoved the door open. 

The light filtered into the room, highlighting Paul’s body. The long-haired man’s head shot up, eyes squinting at the sudden brightness of the light. Daryl leaned against the door, staring at his boyfriend. “I… found you…” He stumbled in, nearly tripping over his own feet. 

“Daryl!” Paul hissed. His heart raced with worry. He didn’t like how pale and woozy his sweet lover looked. “Daryl, are you okay..?”

Daryl whined, leaning against the wall next to Paul. “Baby… I don’t feel good… belly hurts…” He felt another cramp and gasped and blood gushed from him. He looked down, eyes wide as the blood soaked into his jeans, turning them red.

Paul’s eyes widened as well, heart skipping a beat. “Oh… baby… Baby, unlock my wrists... I need to help you…” 

The hunter pressed into Paul’s side, head buried in his neck as he sobbed softly. “Paul… Paul, what’s happenin… my baby…”

“Shh… I’ll fix it, baby, but you gotta get me out of these chains.” Paul whispered, nuzzling his nose into Daryl’s hair. “I’ll take care of you, baby, you know I will.” He cooed softly as his boyfriend’s shaky hand managed to get the shackle key into the hole and twist it. He groaned, swaying as his hand flopped against his side. “Daryl..!” Paul quickly caught the key as the hunter’s body hit the floor. He quickly unlocked his other wrist, thankful his feet weren’t too high off the ground so he was able to just drop down. He knelt next to Daryl and gently felt his belly. “Shit…” Daryl’s symptoms were very concerning. He needed medical equipment. 

He didn’t care they were in enemy territory, Daryl needed help and now. He shot up and ran out of the room. He looked up and down the hall and saw stairs at the end of the hall. He ran to them and started up, only to stop when Negan came to the top of the stairs. He froze, staring up at the tall man. Negan seemed surprised to see Paul a few steps down. 

“Now, how did you get-”

“No time! It’s Daryl! I think he’s having a miscarriage!” He grabbed Negan’s hand and yanked him down the stairs. He was surprised when the man went willingly, yelling up the stairs for someone to send Dr. Carson down. They ran back into the cell he’d been chained in. Paul knelt back down, keeping Daryl on his side. He wracked his brain, trying to think of anything that might have happened. They’d just gotten a sonogram done not too long ago. What could have happened in such a short time?


	11. Ch. 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tragedy ahead!

Daryl slowly woke up, extremely uncomfortable and so very confused. The last thing he remembered he was freeing Paul from his cell and then everything went black. He blinked several times to try to get his eyes to focus before tilting his head left and right to look around. He was in a brightly lit room on a hospital bed. Paul was sitting by his side, looking at a heart monitor above him. He groaned softly, hand reaching for his handsome lover. The long-haired man looked down at him and smiled. 

“Hey, baby. I’m glad you’re awake.” He turned to face the man on the bed and took his hand. He kissed the back of the man’s hand, his own shaking. 

“What… happened?” The hunter murmured. He held Paul’s hand tightly. “The last thing I remember… is a pain in my stomach ‘n freein you from those shackles.”

Paul swallowed thickly and looked at Daryl’s stomach. He reached his free hand over to lightly place it on the hunter’s belly. “... You had a miscarriage. I had to-I had to remove the fetus. It got stuck in your birth canal when your body tried to push it out.” 

Daryl stared at him. His chest felt tight and his face got hot as tears filled the corners of his eyes. “What?” He couldn’t breathe. His whole body hurt. “I-It’s gone..?” He felt the bed move and looked at his lover. The man was climbing into the bed with him. Strong arms wrapped around him and held him close. 

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.” Paul kissed his cheek and carded his fingers through the man’s hair. He let Daryl sob into his neck. He did his best to soothe the man, petting his back and whispering soft words to him. He hoped Daryl didn’t come to hate him for taking out the fetus even though it was dead.

“Why..? How..? I-I did everything, right..? Didn’t I?” Daryl sobbed. He’d never felt this kind of pain before. Not when his mother died. Not when Merle disappeared and then died. Not when Beth died. This was the pain of a parent losing a baby. 

Paul cooed softly. “Sometimes it just happens, baby. Sometimes the baby just isn’t strong enough or doesn’t develop properly so the body rejects it. Sometimes stress or a blow to the stomach causes it.” He sat up for a moment to grab a syringe of medicine and slowly push it into his IV. “There are so many causes.” He held the man close, humming softly to try to comfort him until he fell back asleep from the pain meds. He’d taken a look at the fetus and had seen a bit of stress on it and an underdeveloped heart. He’d been heartbroken. He sighed and pulled Daryl closer and covered him up. 

 

When Daryl woke again, Negan was in the room instead of Paul. He couldn’t help but tense up even though the man was just sitting in the chair by the bed reading a book. The barbed wire bat was nowhere that Daryl could see, but he still didn’t trust the man. He groaned as pain burned its way through his stomach. Negan looked up from the book. He seemed to get what was wrong because he reached over for a button and pressed it. Not a minute later the pain disappeared.

“Welcome back, sleeping beauty.” The man murmured. He closed his book and turned to face the bed. “How d’you feel?”

Daryl merely glared at him. “Where’s Paul?”

“He’s been at your bedside with little to no rest for two days now. I told him to go get some fucking sleep or he’d be of no use to you. I mean, unless you want him to fucking collapse from exhaustion. I can go get-”

“No, let ‘im sleep.” Daryl sighed and relaxed back against the bed. He rubbed his face tiredly. He couldn’t believe the baby was gone. He couldn’t fell any movement. His belly didn’t feel so full and tight. The tears gathered up in his eyes. He’d had so many plans for the baby. They were going to be a family with Paul. They were supposed to find a nice little home in the forest, hunt for their food, grow a garden, fish and spend their days together. That wasn’t going to happen now. He sobbed softly, covering his face with both hands. 

Negan stared at him. He knew what it was like to lose a child. “I’m sorry for your loss.” He whispered. He didn’t say anything else. He sat at Daryl’s bedside, offering him his silent comfort while the man cried his grief out. 

 

Paul woke up the next morning. He’d slept all day and all night. He felt refreshed after a shower and a change of clothes. He wanted to check on Daryl, but first, he needed to see Rick. He managed to find some food and walked down to the ‘dungeon.’ Negan had given him full access to Rick’s cell, so the guard let him in without any argument. He stared at Rick’s form, chained to the wall as he had been. Rick looked up and glared a bit. 

“I’m surprised you’re not dead.” The man muttered.

Paul merely shrugged, munching on the apple he had. “Guess Negan sees me as useful, unlike you. I was a nurse after all. I can keep his men healthy.” He stood a few feet away, just out of Rick’s reach. “I gotta say, Rick, I’m a little impressed with this plan you had, even though it pissed me off. When I told Negan about everything you’ve done, he told me I had full control over what happens to you.”

Rick merely glared at him. He’d been locked in this cell for two days, no food or water, so he was weak and tired. “What’re you going to do to me?”

“I’ve thought about it so much, but I gotta say, Rick, I know just what I’m going to do.” He finished the apple, tossing the core into the corner. He moved closer. “I’m going to let you rot in this cell. You’re going to die a very painful death, become a walker, and rot.” His voice was low and cold. “Daryl’s baby is gone.” His voice choked. “And whether or not it's your fault, you still deserve to rot for what you’ve done to rot.” 

Rick felt his chest twinge. His baby was gone? “He miscarried..? Is Daryl okay?” What happened? How could Daryl lose the baby? Was it his fault? Did Negan do something? “What happened?”

“I’m not saying another word. I’m going to let you suffer from your thoughts. That’s the least you deserve.” Paul turned away and left the cell, slamming it shut behind him. He hated being cruel and violent, but Rick didn’t deserve any mercy. He went back up the stairs and grabbed some food for Daryl in hopes that the man would eat. 

When he came back into the infirmary, Daryl was awake and staring down at his stomach where the stitches were holding his skin together. His chest ached and his heart lurched at the distraught look on the hunter’s face. He swallowed thickly and slowly walked over with the plate and bottle of water in his hands. Daryl looked up when he heard him approach. He smiled thinly at the hunter, but only got a sigh. 

“I know, baby.” He whispered. He put the plate and bottle down and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled the blankets back up over his lover’s stomach. “Don’t dwell on it too much. Grieve and mourn, but don’t feel like its the end of the world.” He whispered, leaning in to kiss Daryl softly, hand petting his cheek. “If you want, after you heal, we can try again.” Daryl nodded and leaned into Paul’s hand. “Will you try to eat for me?” When the hunter nodded again, he reached over for the plate. 

He fed Daryl almost half the plate. He was proud of the hunter for eating so much. His next dose of painkillers and antibiotics had him falling asleep, so Paul put the plate down and helped Daryl roll onto his side so he could sleep comfortably. When the hunter passed out, Paul took the plate down to the kitchen. When he came back into the infirmary, Negan was sitting at Daryl’s bedside. 

“What’re you doing in here?” Paul glared at him. He didn’t trust the man, especially not around Daryl while the hunter was weak and asleep. 

Negan grinned up at him. “What? You want your lover here all by his damn self where some deranged Savior could get to him?”

The mere thought of someone getting to Daryl while he wasn’t around made Paul’s stomach churn. How could he have been so careless? Negan’s smirk made him really want to punch the man in the face. He sighed and ran his palm across his eyes and cheek. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. He was so damn tired. Sure he’d slept, but he felt like he hadn’t slept at all. 

Negan stared at him. “You’re fucking welcome.” He growled. 

Paul tensed and looked over his shoulder at the man. He opened his mouth to sass the man but thought better of it. He mumbled out a ‘thank you’ instead. He laid down on the bed, cuddled up to Daryl’s back. He could feel tears pricking in the corners of his eyes. Now that Rick was suffering and Daryl was sleeping soundly, Paul could let himself mourn the loss of the baby they never got to meet. He buried his face in Daryl’s shoulder and let the tears fall. He heard Negan get up and leave and let the sobs come out.

 

Daryl was allowed out of bed a couple days later, but Paul wouldn’t let him out of the walls. He was still too weak and the stitches couldn’t come out, yet. He didn’t want to run the risk of the hunter running into trouble and popping his stitches out. The smell of blood would definitely attract any nearby walkers, not to mention the hunter could bleed out, albeit slowly. Okay, so maybe Paul was just being a little overprotective. Could anyone blame him, though? 

“We need to get back to Alexandria.” Daryl murmured one morning. 

Paul was still half asleep. Having Daryl back in bed with him helped him to sleep a lot better. Now that they’d been in the Sanctuary for nearly a week now, he was a bit more relaxed. He still didn’t trust many of the men, but at least he was able to relax somewhat. He sighed, cuddling closer to the hunter and nuzzling into his neck. 

“Paul..?”

“Hm..?” Paul yawned. He was warm and content. He didn’t want to move, but Daryl moved away from him, nudging him to get his attention. The scout whined a bit and opened his eyes tiredly. “What?”

“We need to get back ta Alexandria,” Daryl repeated. 

Paul sighed and yawned again. “Daryl, I don’t think Negan’s ever going to let us leave.” Quite honestly, he didn’t want to leave. They had everything they needed here. Sure it would take some getting used to, but he thought they could be happy here. Everyone had a job, there were rules to follow. Yeah, Negan’s an asshole and a bit too violent for Paul’s taste, but he made sure things worked. The only problem Paul had was it seemed Negan had a crush on Daryl. 

“We can’t stay here.” Daryl huffed a bit. “My family’s in Alexandria.” He didn’t like it here. It was too enclosed. There were too many violent people around. He would not want to raise a child-

Oh yeah.

Daryl swallowed thickly. “Please, Paul… I can’t stay here.” He leaned down, nuzzling his face into Paul’s neck. “Please.”

Paul sighed softly, fingers petting through the man’s hair. “Alright. We’ll come up with a plan to leave,” he whispered. He would have to talk to Negan, but he didn’t think it would go very well. 

When Daryl fell back asleep, he carefully untangled himself from the hunter’s embrace. He washed up and pulled on some clothes. He kissed Daryl’s hair and left the room. He went to the infirmary first to check on the patient he had, then told his assistant to keep an eye on the patient. He left again. He had to ask a couple of people, but he eventually found Negan in the library, which was somewhat of a shock. He didn’t know the man liked to read. 

“Don’t you look cozy,” Paul muttered, arms crossed over his chest with an eyebrow raised. Negan was slouched in a bean bag in just his pajama bottoms and a silk robe. His glasses were on and he had a glass of Brandon on the floor beside him. The man grinned up at him and took a sip of his brandy. Paul rolled his eyes. He grabbed a chair and pulled it over. “Look, Daryl and I can’t stay here. With the miscarriage, he wants to go home to our own community.”

Negan stared at him silently for a moment. He took another sip, then put the glass back down. “I see.” He sniffed and closed his book after marking his page with a picture of his daughter. “And… what makes you think I’m going to just let you leave?”

Paul sighed. He was afraid of this. “Well, I was kind of hoping you would just let us leave, considering the circumstances.” He stared Negan down. He wasn’t scared of the man. Even as the man put his book aside and stood up, getting right in the scout’s personal space. “You want Daryl to be happy, right?” He could see how Negan’s jaw clenched. “Yeah, I noticed.”

The man clenched his fists. “Fine, let's make a deal. I’ll let you two leave, but I’ll take you, and we’ll negotiate a trade.” He wasn’t going to let Daryl, or Paul, out of his sights completely. Trading would happen every two weeks and he would be the one to come so he could see the two men as often as he wanted.

“I don’t-”

“Oh, well, then, I guess you two are fucking stuck here. I’ll continue to pursue Daryl, take him right out from under you.” Negan smirked. 

Paul growled. “Fine!” He shoved Negan away and stormed out of the room. God, he was so insufferable. Paul really couldn’t stand the man. He stormed back to his and Daryl’s room to talk it over with the hunter. He wasn’t sure Daryl would agree to it. What if Negan just wanted to take over the community? Could he really put their family in danger like that? He had a feeling Daryl wouldn’t agree to it. They may just have to sneak out somehow.


	12. Ch. 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'eeeeeey! lookit what I did! I updated! 
> 
> can't guarantee it'll happen again for some time... it's-uh-it's been rough... my writing mojo is non-existent and I just... I ain't got the energy for shit...

Negan hummed as he stepped down from the RV. He looked around Alexandria and smirked as Daryl and Paul stepped down behind him. It was a very nice place. It had good, sturdy walls, houses, a lake, and it was smack dab in the middle of the forest which was perfect for hunting! He could see why Daryl was so desperate to come back. Not only did it have his family in friends in it, but it was the perfect place to raise a child in a zombie apocalypse. 

That is if Daryl were still pregnant.

Michonne and Carl walked over to them and Daryl shot past Negan to go hug them. Paul tried to follow, but Dwight and Simon held him back. Michonne met the hunter eagerly, arms wrapping around him tight. When they pulled back, she looked up at him. “Are you alright? Where have you been? Who are all these people?” She leaned back to look at his stomach, eyes widening when she saw how much smaller it was than before. “Daryl..?”

The hunter swallowed thickly, willing his eyes not to tear up. “I miscarried. Paul had to surgically remove the fetus.” His eyes didn’t listen as she brought her hands up to cup his cheeks. 

“Oh, Daryl. I’m so sorry.” She whispered and hugged him close again. She kissed his cheek and rubbed his back until he’d calmed down again. “It’ll take a while for your hormones to get back to normal, but you’ll be okay.” He nodded in agreement and let go of her so he could introduce her to Negan. He was surprised the man had been so patient.

Negan smirked as he walked over, more like strutted over, Lucille on his shoulder and licking his lips as he looked Michonne up and down. “Hi, ‘m Negan.”

Michonne looked him over unimpressed. “Hi, I’m not interested.” She sassed, hands on her hips and an unamused expression on her face. 

“Ooh, burn.” Negan chuckled, grinning toothily. “I like the sass.” Daryl rolled his eyes and looked over at Paul, who was still being held at gunpoint.

“I like your bat. Maybe I’ll bash your brains in with it.” She glared at him. “Release my friend.” She motioned her hand to Paul. Negan looked over his shoulder at Paul, who was also glaring at him. 

“Sorry, but I’ll be keeping him for insurance for the time being.” He turned back to Michonne and looked at Carl. “Holy fucking shit! What the fuck happened to your other eye?! That is some freaky shit!”

Carl glared at him, arms crossed over his chest. “I was shot. Why are you here?”

Negan snorted and shook his head in disappointment. “So many rude people here.” He looked at Daryl, glaring just a tiny bit. “You better hope they agree to trade or you and your pretty boyfriend there are coming back with me!” Daryl bit his bottom lip nervously. He couldn’t go back there. He prayed Michonne would lose the attitude and be sensible. Negan turned back to Michonne and Carl. “I’m here because of beautiful Daryl! After he lost the baby he wanted to come home, so Pretty Boy and I made a deal! I’ll bring them back, but only as long as you agree to trade!”

Michonne glanced between them. She sighed and shook her head. “We don’t have enough to trade. We’re already trading with another community. Anymore and our people will starve.” 

“Well, that’s a damn shame. Here I was ready to give ya’ll fucking bullets and weapons in return for Daryl and Paul spending every couple weeks at the Sanctuary.”

“Wait, what?” Daryl blinked and looked at Negan. He didn’t know they would be a part of the trade. Paul looked just as confused and somewhat worried. 

“I’m sorry… what?” Michonne looked just as confused as Daryl and Paul. “... You want… Paul and Daryl to spend half the month at your community and in return, you’ll give us weapons? You won’t take any food or anything?”

“What for? My people get plenty of food from other communities.” Negan shrugged. 

“Why? Why do you want Daryl and Paul?” She eyed the man suspiciously. She didn’t like him, but if he was willing to give them weapons in exchange for Daryl and Paul to only spend a couple weeks with him, that was a deal she was willing to make. They might not be happy about it, but she knew they would do it if it meant their people could protect themselves.

Negan shrugged a bit. “I like them.” He smirked as Daryl’s cheeks flushed a bit. “Plus, Paul’s a good doctor and Daryl’s a good scavenger and hunter, I could use them.”

Michonne looked at the two. She sighed and crossed her arms. She couldn’t bring herself to make the decision. “Well, that’s not really my choice. They may be my family, but it's up to them if they wanna put up with you.”

The man grinned and turned to look at Paul and Daryl. “Well!? What d’ya fuckers say?” Paul eyed him suspiciously. It was easy to tell the man had some devious plan up his sleeve, but if it meant their people could protect themselves he was willing to put up with him. “I know we’ve had our differences and some mistakes have been made-” Daryl snorted, his throat still hurt sometimes “but I like to think we had a pretty damn good fuckin time together!”

Daryl glanced at his boyfriend. He would really prefer to stay with his own people. He needed their support and comfort. It was only every couple weeks, though. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. He swallowed thickly and nodded. “Alright.” Negan hadn’t touched him since that first time, mainly out of respect for the loss of his baby, but now that he was healed he didn’t know if the man would make another move; or force him to do more than suck him off.

Negan let out a ‘whoop’ of victory, swinging his bat in the air and narrowly smacking Michonne in the face. She leaned away and glared at him. “Well, then! We’ll be back in a couple weeks!” He whistled and a few men brought out crates of bullets, knives, and guns. “I’ll fuckin miss ya, darlin!” He gave Daryl’s ass a hard smack, making the hunter jump in shock and somewhat fear. 

Paul broke away from the two Saviors and shoved Negan. “Just get the fuck out of here!” He glared as Negan laughed and walked back to the RV. The bat-wielding maniac grinned and winked at them as he climbed onto the vehicle, shutting the door. Paul sighed as the RV rolled out of the community, followed by the men on bikes. He turned to Daryl. “Are you okay, baby?”

Daryl nodded. “Yeah.” He sighed softly. “‘M just happy ta be home.” He hugged onto Paul, nuzzling into his hair. The man hugged him back, petting his sides lovingly.

 

The months passed uneventfully, except for the occasional fistfight between Negan and Paul. Daryl was quite honestly getting tired of how the two men couldn’t get along. They were both essentially charming, powerful, sarcastic assholes, just in different ways. Paul was only sarcastic in proper circumstances while Negan was a sarcastic asshole all the damn time, which was quite tiring in its own way. Paul couldn’t stand the man, but Daryl didn’t mind his presence so much anymore. He seemed to have gotten the message that the hunter wasn’t interested in him, so he’d backed off. Still, just because he could tolerate the man didn’t mean he trusted him. 

Daryl’s menstrual cycle and hormones went back to normal after a couple months. By winter, his body was back to how it had been before his pregnancy aside from a few lingering symptoms. It seemed every time he sneezed he peed himself a little. His chest ached every now and then, and his feet never quite went back to their usual size. Other than those few things, he felt pretty much like his old self. He even got his sex drive back, only now that he had a handsome, beautiful, sexy lover it was like his libido was in overdrive. He couldn’t keep his hands to himself, especially when Paul came home smelling like sweat and his own musky scent.

Their house stayed quite warm. He was surprised when he found the heating system actually worked. With the help of the fireplace, the house stayed warm and cozy. Tonight, he was going to seduce his boyfriend. He needed sex. He craved sex. If he didn’t get Paul’s dick in him tonight he might just kill Negan the next time they saw him. So, he got dinner started a little early and while it simmered in a pot on the oven, he got a few logs tossed in the fireplace with some dead leaves he’d been keeping in an airtight container on the back porch. Paul was due home from his shift on the wall any minute now and he wanted everything ready. He was even wearing… a thong… under his jeans. He’d never worn one before.

He just hoped his boyfriend wasn’t too tired.

As if on cue, the front door opened and Paul hurried in, shutting the door behind him before snow could billow in. He shuddered, quickly kicking off his boots. “Jesus fucking Christ, its freezing out there! If Rick wasn’t already dead I’d kill him for making such a stupid ass schedule for guard duty on the wall!” He shed his heavy jacket and beanie, hanging them both up. He took a deep sniff of the air and groaned. “Baby, you been cooking?”

Daryl came into the front hall from the living room, smiling shyly. “Yeah. Had a few extra potatoes and carrots, so I’m makin a nice, hearty stew. It’s simmering right now.” He watched the man take his gloves off, leaving them on the stand by the door. 

“Fuck, I love you so much.” Paul purred and pressed up against Daryl. He kissed him sweetly, then promptly buried his freezing fingers under the man’s jeans, groping his ass. “And you’re so warm!”

Daryl squawked and tried to squirm out of his hold. Their bodies tipped just a little too much and they tumbled backward onto the couch. They laughed as Paul tried to get his cold hands back under his lover’s shirt and Daryl tried squirming away. The hunter managed to get up off the couch and ran out of the room and up the stairs, his lover not too far behind. 

“I’m just trying to get warm, baby!” Paul called out as he took the stairs two at a time. 

“‘N ‘m tryin ta stay warm! Keep yer freezin fingers away from my ass!” Daryl called back as he ran into the room and crawled under the blankets to hide. He knew it was a futile effort. He had a large body, but it was all part of the foreplay. 

Paul stepped into the room and looked around. “Hmm… where, oh where, did my sweet darling go?” He walked toward the closet. “How about in… HERE!?” He yanked the door open and turned the light on. Daryl bit his bottom lip, holding back a giddy giggle. “No? Hm…” He heard his lover move over toward the bathroom. “Let’s try door number 2!” Paul opened the bathroom door, using a game announcer voice. The bathroom was empty, however, so he shut the door. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Rovia! Game over!” He chuckled to himself and moved over to the bed. “Boy, I wonder what this mysterious lump is on my bed!” 

Daryl grunted as the ninja crawled on top of him. “Yer heavy…” He mumbled. He could take Paul’s weight. He was a bit bigger than the other man after all, but Paul was compact muscle while his own body was starting to lose muscle mass from age.

Paul chuckled. “You weren’t complaining about it last night when we were making out.” He drew the blanket down from Daryl’s head, laying his own on the man’s chest. He smirked. “Found you…”

Daryl snorted. “Like it was really that hard.” He smiled when Paul leaned down to kiss him. “Did ya have a good shift?”

“Mmhm… cold, but good. Dunno why we still have such long shifts on the wall. It’s so cold out and there’s like five feet of snow on the ground… nothing’s going to get in and out of the community.” He sighed softly, nuzzling his face into Daryl’s neck. “Walkers definitely aren’t going anywhere and it’s too cold for any survivors to do anything except huddle up indoors somewhere and pray for the best.” 

Daryl nodded. “You could bring it up with Michonne. She is the new leader of the community after all.” He squirmed one arm out so he could pet his fingers through Paul’s hair. “But not tonight. Tonight… yer dick is mine.”

Paul lifted his head up, raising an eyebrow. “Just my dick..?”

“Just yer dick. If ya step a foot outta this house ‘fore ya pound me into this bed, I ain’t gonna forgive you.” Daryl gave him the best stern, serious look he could, but he figured he just looked like a desperate whore. 

His boyfriend just chuckled and leaned in to kiss him again. “Yes, baby… but first… food. I’m gonna need all the energy I can if I’m going to, and I quote, pound you into this bed.” He pecked Daryl’s nose and climbed off the bed. “Feed me. I’m wasting away to nothing!”

Daryl snorted out a ‘drama queen’ and shoved the blankets off. He climbed out of bed and smacked Paul’s ass. “Get yer ass downstairs ‘fore I mount ya right here!” Paul laughed and hurried out of the room and down the stairs. The hunter followed him down and into the kitchen. He checked the stew to see if it was done and shut the fire off under it when he determined it was. “Wanna pour us some drinks?”

“Sure!” Paul got down a couple of glasses while his boyfriend got down two bowls. Soon, they were sitting in front of the fire, eating their stew and enjoying the company of just each other. “... What would you have named the baby if it was a girl?”

The hunter glanced up at him. “... Evelyn… or Darla. Darla was my mom’s name.” Paul nodded in understanding. “She wasn’t the perfect mom. She… had her own problems. She tried her best with the shitty hand she’d been dealt. Sometimes I wonder if… it was even an accident… how she died.”

Paul had heard bits and pieces of Daryl’s childhood. He knew his mother had died in a fire and that his father had died of liver disease from years of drinking alcohol and doing drugs. “... And if it was a boy?”

Daryl hummed a bit. He hadn’t even considered the baby could be a boy. He’d been so set on it being a girl. “I dunno. The first name that comes ta mind is… Paul.”

The ninja looked up at him, lips parted in silent shock. “... You… You’d name the baby after me?”

“... Yeah. Paul Jr.” Daryl smiled. He set his empty bowl and glass aside and crawled across the blanket to be closer to his lover. “I love you ‘n I know you woulda made a wonderful father. I… I’m sorry… I lost the baby.”

Paul’s chest ached. He put his own dinner wares aside and pulled the hunter closer. “Oh, baby… I know… I know you didn’t miscarry on purpose. You gotta understand sometimes these things just happen. There’s still so much we don’t know about the human body and why some things happen.” He kissed his boyfriend’s cheek to his lips. “When you’re ready… we’ll try again.” He pressed their foreheads together, breathing in the other man’s wonderful scent. 

Daryl swallowed thickly, nodding a bit to show Paul he understood. “... ‘m ready.” He was truly ready. He wanted Paul’s baby.


End file.
